Sheer Good Fortune with Toni Morrison in Radar Magazine

Hey all, my article about my voyage to Virginia Tech where I met and interviewed Toni Morrison and met Maya Angelou and Nikki Giovanni, was published in Radar Magazine in December 2012. As you may remember, I took the voyage with my literary sisters, Joneia P. Brown and Kimeko Farrar. If you'd like to read the entire magazine online, check it out at Radar Magazines.

For all you that would like to read just my article, here it is. Hope you enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday w/ Linky

Toni Morrison at the interview session at the Sheer Good Fortune event

Maya Angelou at the reception for the Sheer Good Fortune event.

The drill field at Virginia Tech

We are sitting on the steps outside Burruss Auditorium at Virginia Tech, taking in the view of the drill field in the above photo.
Three ladies from Alabama as we called ourselves that day.
Poet Kimeko Farrar, Joneia P. Brown and myself, Lena Sledge

Don't forget to add your Wordless Wednesday photo to the Linky below so we can check it out!

My Sheer Good Fortune with Toni Morrison

This past week has been extraordinary. It took several days for me to come down off my adrenaline high. I left Alabama headed to Virginia Tech with two of my girlfriends on October 14, 2012. We drove to Blacksburg, Virginia in foggy, rainy, gloomy weather Sunday night. It took us a little over eight hours to make arrive to our destination. We arrived tired, but too anxious to sleep. We only had two hours to get prepared before the press conference anyway, so I decided to get dressed and go over my interview questions for Toni Morrison.

We arrived fairly early and secured front row seats. The room was intimate, maybe with thirty people eventually being in the room. There was of course other press and media outlets there, but not as many as I expected or felt should have been there for such an auspicious occasion. They wheeled Dr. Morrison in and she looked vibrant and cheerful. After a few reporters asked questions, I knew if I wanted to ask my own, I would need to just jump in there and so I went for it. I asked about seven questions. My girlfriends were with me and they were able to ask her each a question as well. After the conference, they quickly wheeled Dr. Morrison away. I went and introduced myself to Nikki Giovanni thinking she probably didn't remember me. Surprisingly she did. She said, "I know who you are." Then she gave me a hug. I introduced my friends and we all took pictures.

Angela Davis, Maya Angelou and Sonia Sanchez

After Ms. Giovanni left, a documentary producer approached us about being in a documentary honoring Nikki Giovanni. We graciously accepted. We were led to this private library where camera and video had been set up, along with TV monitors. The monitors allowed us to see how we looked while we were being filmed. The three of us were interviewed individually, I went last. I honestly can't tell you what I said during my interview, I was so nervous. I don't even remember the questions the interviewer asked me. It was a surreal experience. I am truly grateful for the opportunity and as soon as the documentary becomes available, you know I'll post it any and everywhere.

Next we were invited to the reception the following day before the actual Sheer Good Fortune event. This is where it really gets good because I left Alabama having no expectation other than to get to the press conference and to attend the event. But so far I was able to get to the press conference and have my friends experience it with me. Not only that, but then be asked to participate in a documentary for Nikki Giovanni and then invited to the reception was a blessing. Every step of the way, things kept getting better and better.

Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou holding hands while
a tribute was being song to them

So we arrive at the reception, early as usual. We get so close that we are standing in front of the microphone where the presenters would speak. We see the attendees arriving and they are coming down the stairs in small groups. I glance up towards the stairs and nudge my friend, Joneia P. Brown. "It is Angela Davis and Sonia Sanchez." I repeat it again as if I need to hear it for myself to ring true. At this point, I'm giddy. We wanted to leave our spots and go over to both ladies, but our spots were too damn good and we hadn't seen Maya Angelou yet. A few moments later, Toni Morrison arrives and she is wheeled directly in front of us. Angela Davis and Sonia Sanchez go to her and they take pictures. Joneia sits on the floor in front of them and starts to take photos, the media is snapping away and recording and it's all pure magic. Then shortly thereafter, Maya Angelou is wheeled in next to Toni Morrison. Time basically stopped for me, I'm literally standing five feet directly in front of Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison. Everything becomes a blur at this moment. I'm trying to digest it and I think my cup is so full from delight, I can't process what's happening. After the reception, I am able to speak with Angela Davis and Sonia Sanchez. They are truly gracious and kind women. We were able to meet several Pulitzer Prize winners, Poet Laureates and distinguished authors and professors. I can't wait to tell you about all the talented gifted and extraordinary men and women we met while at the event. I indeed experienced sheer good fortune.

I have to personally thank Ms. Nikki Giovanni for being so gracious and  generous in accommodating our presence. The event was beyond spectacular and most people tasked with putting on such a splendid affair would be short or slightly stressed, but she never once appeared that way and was very kind to us every step of the way.

There is lots more to tell you and I'll give you all the details in the next post.

Poet and Blogger Kimeko Farrar, Television Producer and Speaker Joneia P. Brown , Nikki Giovanni and me :) Lena Sledge taken right after the press conference.

Next up....How I Made it to the VIP Room and the Actual Sheer Good Fortune Celebration. Stay Tuned.

Sheer Good Fortune with Toni Morrison...I'm Going!

Remember when I said I'd explain later why I was rereading all of Toni Morrison's books? Well, I'm headed to the Sheer Good Fortune celebration at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA on October 16, 2012. I'm overjoyed. I cried, I did a happy dance, I clapped like a two year old at a birthday party. I did it all! But wait...there's more. This event is being hosted by none other than Maya Angelou and Nikki Giovanni. Yes, reread that again, while I have a praise dance moment.












There are three people in this world that I've always wanted to meet, Oprah, Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou. I had four which included Nikki Giovanni, but I've met her several times since then, so that dream has come to fruition. But being able to see two more amazing women I admire is overwhelming to say the least. Let's just pray Oprah makes a surprise appearance. That would definitely be a cause for an additional praise dance at the event.

For all of you that may not know, Toni Morrison is an American novelist, editor, and professor. Among Morrison’s best-known novels are “The Bluest Eye,” “Sula,” “Song of Solomon,” and “Beloved.” She won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1993 and in 1988, the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for “Beloved,” which was adapted into a film starring Oprah Winfrey in 1998. In 2006, a survey of writers and literary critics by The New York Times ranked “Beloved” as the best work of American fiction for the past 25 years.

(clockwise) Joanne Gabbin, Nikki Giovanni and Maya Angelou

I was fortunate enough to get extra tickets and I'm taking nine of my beautiful girlfriends. So we are going on a girls road trip, some are driving and others are flying in. And we are going to have ourselves a grand time. I will also be able to ask Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni and professor Joanne Gabbin some questions, along with the other media. So what I want you all to do is post questions in the comment section that you think I should ask. I'll admit, I'm extremely nervous and I don't want to forget to ask something I'll later wish I had.

Of course, I'll report back on how the event went. Of which I'm sure I'll have all great things to share. What are the odds of ever seeing these three women in the same room at a public event again? I'm still in shock. Wish me luck! I'm just praying I don't get tongue tied.

Armchair BEA: Introductions First!

I was hoping to attend Book Expo America this year, but unfortunately I wasn't able to make it. But for the last several years I have participated in Armchair BEA, a virtual conference for book bloggers who can’t attend Book Expo America being held in New York this week. 


Every day this week, I’ll post according to the daily themes given by Armchair BEA. Bloggers will then visit each other's blog and comment, which by the way, is an excellent way to network. I met most of the bloggers I know through Armchair BEA. So make sure and stop by the Armchair BEA and participate by visiting the list of blogs participating that are listed on the linky at the Armchair BEA website. Introduce yourself at each blog and leave a nice comment. Perhaps, they will reciprocate and come visit your blog as well.

Everyday this week, there is a new theme for bloggers to post according to. Today’s theme is “Introductions First!” Participants were given a list of 10 questions and asked to answer 5 of them, so that we can all get to know each other a little better. So here’s the five I chose to answer. 

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself? How long have you been blogging and why did you get into blogging?

I'm Lena Sledge, author, writer, publicist, speaker and of course....blogger. I'm the publicist for the Alabama Writers' Conclave, one of the oldest writers' organization in continuous existence in the United States. I wrote a short story collection titled, If I Had My Way. It was released in February of 2012. It has done well. I'm very proud of my work and it was great to have my blogger friends discuss my book on their blogs and leave Amazon and Barnes and Noble reviews. I've also had my work in several anthologies. I started blogging because I wanted to share writing resources with newly published authors like myself. But I initially started blogging about books that I had read from my personal home library and from there my blog took on a life of its own. I hope to have my blog become a site for writers to find resources that may help them find what they need within the literary world and to share great books and bookish news for my book lovers and readers.

2. What book am I currently reading?

"Home" by Toni Morrison.

3. What is my favorite feature on my blog?
My favorite feature is Author Interviews, Giveaways and Writing and Blogging Resources.

4. My favorite post that I would want everyone to read?
It would be three posts actually, Top 25 Blogs for Writers, Armchair BEA (Building and Nurturing Relationships and Top 20 Sites for Free eBooks.

5. If I could eat dinner with any author or character who would it be?
In my fantasy, I'd have a luncheon with Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison and Nikki Giovanni.

Feel free to participate and answer my five questions in comments or direct me to your blog post discussing your five questions for Armchair BEA.

Tomorrow's theme is Giveaways and if you've visited my site before, you'll know I LOVE giveaways! Matter of fact, I'm running one now for a $25 Amazon Gift Card or up to $25 in book purchases from the Book Depository. So scroll down to enter or click My Favorite Reads Giveaway.

Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to meeting and networking with you all. Happy BEA!

Associated Writers and Writing Programs Conference in Review

It's been a week since I attended the AWP Annual Conference and Bookfair. I took plenty of notes, met some fantastic people and got inspired to write, write, write. Which is what I've been up to lately, lots of writing. I completed a few writing assignments and projects and I began some new ones.

There were dozens of workshops to choose from every day. I attended with my friend and we decided to split up the entire duration of the conference in order to cover more topics and then go over our notes together at the end of the weekend. And the planned worked out great.

Here's the list of workshops I attended during our four days at the AWP Conference. The workshops with asterisks were most helpful and insightful.

THURSDAY
R113. New Media for New (and Old) Authors and Writers *
(Priscilla Long, Matt Briggs, Waverly Fitzgerald, Rebecca Agiewich, Cynthia Hartwig)
Private Dining Room 2, Hilton Chicago, 3rd Floor
What do writers need to know about blogs, Twitter, Facebook, LibraryThing, Goodreads, YouTube, SheWrites, Amazon.com, and author pages on these sites and other new media? What is essential? What is too much? What about that book trailer? What considerations and issues should we authors and writers reflect on as we negotiate these new ways of connecting and communicating? Is ignoring all of this an option? What is the downside?

R127. Ideas That Always Work; Solutions That Never Fail: Best Practices for the Creative Writing Workshop
(Christopher Castellani, Ethan Gilsdorf, Lisa Borders, Jill McDonough)
Continental A, Hilton Chicago, Lobby Level
Every workshop has problems: the dude who won’t stop talking; the lady who keeps psychoanalyzing; the inappropriately dirty/violent/creepy story. Every workshop needs new ideas: unique exercises that always yield worthwhile pages; rules that structure conversation without squashing spontaneity. In this panel, instructors of all genres will share case studies of how they deal with common problems and also reveal their best strategies for maximizing the effectiveness and fairness of workshops. 


R161. Behind the Scenes of Implementing a Successful iPad and Tablet Publishing System
(Rajesh Padinjaremadam, Paul Joseph)
Marquette, Hilton Chicago, 3rd Floor
iPad and other tablets are evolving as an important channel for publishers. However, publishing to these tablets presents multiple challenges for business models, technology roadmaps, content creation, and reformatting workflows. This session speaks about the best practices in publishing content to tablets for newspapers and magazines, based on our experience working with a number of publishers.

R179. Nikki Giovanni: A Cave Canem Legacy Conversation
(Alison Meyers, Nikki Giovanni, Thomas Sayers Ellis)
Grand Ballroom, Hilton Chicago, 2nd Floor
Called the Princess of Black Poetry in her early career, Nikki Giovanni has for four decades engaged deeply with the political and the personal. A popular poet whose versatile work inspires and challenges both adults and youth, she has received over twenty honorary degrees and numerous literary awards. Following Ms. Giovanni’s brief reading, Thomas Sayers Ellis will conduct a wide-ranging conversation with the distinguished poet who declares, “Writing is... what I do to justify the air I breathe.” My Favorite Workshop! I met Nikki Giovanni and took a photo with her. It was fantastic. She is full of insight. She was witty and engaging. I was on the edge of my seat listening to every word.


R221. What about Blog?: How Blogging Can Propel Your Career and Polish Your Craft
(Sarah Klenakis, Turi Fesler, Claire Bidwell Smith, Rachel Vogel, Caitlin Leffel)
State Ballroom, Palmer House Hilton, 4th Floor
Sure, lots of writers blog, but what can you do to actually capitalize from your daily posts? A writer, editor, literary agent, and blog sponsor come together to discuss what appeals to them when reading online, how you can better attract followers, make money from your blogging, and possibly even find a job. From sharing success stories to blogging “don’ts,” this panel will clarify the murky waters that surround online writing.

R241. You Wrote It, Now Promote It: DIY Publicity for the Busy Writer
(Brendan Constantine, Kim Dower, Janice Eidus, Elise Paschen, Douglas Kearney)
Empire Ballroom, Palmer House Hilton, Lobby Level
At a time when publishing is in a profound state of flux, there is no one right way to promote a book. Whether you do fifty events in fifty days or six in six months, there are ways to find and connect with an audience. Each panelist in this diverse group has stories to share of the modern marketing tactics they’ve used to promote their work. Join them for a wide-ranging discussion on the hazards and unexpected pleasures of juggling a new book with a new baby, family, jobs, and sanity. 


Off-site Events We Attended That Evening
BLOOM presents DIVINING DIVAS
Join BLOOM for the launch of DIvining Divas, a poetry anthology of poetry by gay men (many of whom have appeared in BLOOM). Contributors reading from anthology: * Richard Blanco ENDORA/Bewitched * Jericho Brown DIANA ROSS * Regie Cabico NINA SIMONE * Bryan Borland MAYA ANGELOU * Joseph Campana AUDREY HEPBURN * Steve Fellner MISS PIGGY * Charles Flowers BARBRA STREISAND * Michael Klein LAURA NYRO * Paul Lisicky JONI MITCHELL * Lonely Christopher GERTRUDE STEIN * Angelo Nikolopoulos GRETA GARBO * Ruben Quesada OPRAH WINFREY * Douglas Ray DIXIE CARTER/Designing Women Special guests include: * Sarah Browning * Elaine Sexton * Dorianne Laux * Kathie Berquist * Ana Bozicevic (Really enjoyed meeting new people. There were about 6 women in the entire club and the club was packed, my friend and I were probably the only two single straight ladies. It was so much fun though. I don't think I've ever been in a club full of men that weren't looking for women. Loved it. I met a great writer there as well. Hey Josh!)

AWP 2012 Karaoke Idol 
Held at the Beauty Bar
After readings and other literary events, presses from Chicago and beyond will battle for the AWP 2012 Karaoke Idol throne, followed by Karaoke-dance party. Karaoke Idol Judges: Amy Guth, Joe Meno, and Patrick Sommerville. Presented by Another Chicago Magazine (ACM), Artifice Mag, Curbside Splendor, Featherproof Books -- contestants, more info to come... (This was hilarious. Attendees really let loose and had fun. The only thing I didn't like was the long line outside to get in. It was freezing cold and I was not happy about it at all.)

Friday
F105. Behind the Book: Debut Authors Reveal the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
(Mecca Jamilah Sullivan, Kristen-Paige Madonia, Alexander Yates, Amina Gautier, E.C. Osondu)
Continental B, Hilton Chicago, Lobby Level
From requesting book blurbs to receiving first reviews, authors discuss the road to publication and the speed bumps they stumbled on along the way. Panelists will address the pros and cons of publishing with large houses versus university presses and will focus on the mysterious window of time between signing contracts and launching their debuts by discussing things they wish they’d known, things they never expected, and tricks they’re glad they used to prepare for their first book publication. 


F125. Writing for Young Adults *
(April Lindner, Marilyn Nelson, Helen Frost, Curtis Crisler, Meg Kearney)
Astoria, Hilton Chicago, 3rd Floor
Young adult literature is as diverse and ambitious as any literature. What is the appeal of writing for a younger audience, and what are the practical concerns of the author who writes literary YA poetry or fiction? A panel of poets and novelists will explore the vibrant world of YA literature and examine the many ways in which it literature can be relevant, experimental, traditional, and necessary.

F155. How Far is Too Far? Facing Self-Censors and Publishing Censors When Writing about Coming-of-Age for Young Adults *
(Laura Otto, Ann Angel, Daniel Kraus, Penny Blubaugh, Ricki Thompson)
Joliet, Hilton Chicago, 3rd Floor
When writers work to capture the emerging adult at the end of the young adult journey to independence, they find their characters exploring the forbidden adult world. These stories often depict experimentation with drugs, alcohol, and sexuality. How do writers, compelled to tell the truth of the adolescent’s journey respond to the interior voice that warns, “You can’t write that”?

F205. Bridging the Gaps of Race, Gender, and Culture in Children’s and Young Adult Literature *
(Kekla Magoon, René Colato Laínez, Debby Dahl Edwardson, Bridget Birdsall)
Joliet, Hilton Chicago, 3rd Floor
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Caucasians will be a minority in the U.S. by the year 2020. The new multiracial face of America is bridging cultural divides on many levels and embracing a brave new world where geeks, freaks, and queers can likewise no longer be hidden in literary closets. As reading rates decline, children’s writers are uniquely poised to promote a literature that better acknowledges who we are becoming. This panel will help writers give voice to the other in a meaningful way.

F241. The Literati: Deconstructing Publishing Myths for Writers
(Ben Pfeiffer, Danielle Evans, Brian Shawver, Joe Miller, Jacinda Townsend)
Empire Ballroom, Palmer House Hilton, Lobby Level
Authors address misconceptions about publishing, including how agents are found, the importance of networking, and publishing as it relates to writing. Unpublished writers often become consumed with anxiety about the world of publishing, asking questions such as: Why is no one publishing me? Do I not know the right people? The panel seeks to return the focus of publication from gimmickry to writing itself, emphasizing craft, hard work, awareness of form, and the mechanics of language.

F153. A Reading and Conversation with Jaimy Gordon and Rebecca Skloot 
(Jaimy Gordon, Rebecca Skloot, Donna Seaman)
Grand Ballroom, Hilton Chicago, 2nd Floor
A reading and conversation by best-selling authors Jaimy Gordon and Rebecca Skloot. The conversation will be moderated by critic and editor Donna Seaman. (I met Rebecca Skloot, author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and I took a picture with her :-)) She's very pretty.

F247. A Reading and Conversation with Esmeralda Santiago and Jesmyn Ward, Sponsored by Columbia College Chicago Poetry & Nonfiction Programs
(Esmeralda Santiago, Jesmyn Ward, Samuel Park)
Grand Ballroom, Hilton Chicago, 2nd Floor
A reading and conversation by best-selling authors Esmeralda Santiago and Jesmyn Ward. The event will be introduced and moderated by Columbia College faculty member and novelist Samuel Park.

F248. A Reading and Conversation with U.K. and U.S. Poets Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and Philip Levine, Sponsored by the Poetry Foundation
(Don Share, Carol Ann Duffy, Philip Levine)
International Ballroom North & South, Hilton Chicago, 2nd Floor
The Poetry Foundation presents a reading and conversation by the current United Kingdom and United States poets laureate Carol Ann Duffy and Philip Levine. The event will be introduced and moderated by Poetry magazine senior editor, Don Share. (I met the Pulitzer Prize winner and U.S. Poet Laureate, Philip Levine. He is very charming and witty. Would've loved to have a sit down with him. There was a crowd of people waiting to see him, so I didn't get a chance to take a photo with him. But he did autograph a copy of his book that I purchased :-))


SATURDAY
S103. Connecting with Readers via Your Website and Social Media
(Michele Wolf, Kim Addonizio, Leslie Pietrzyk, Matt Bell, Paul Lisicky)
Boulevard Room A,B,C, Hilton Chicago, 2nd Floor
Having a vibrant, user-friendly Web presence—via your own website (supplementing a publisher’s and/or employer’s page for you), blogging, Facebook, and other social media—has become a key asset for engaging readers and students, being part of the conversation, and expanding interest in your work. Learn how to create an appealing, fun-to-click site that best represents your books and passions, what resources and social media contact that readers most appreciate, and what pitfalls to avoid. For me, this workshop didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. Was really basic :-(

S140. Queer Voices in Young Adult Literature **
(M. Molly Backes, Meagan Brothers, Alexandra Diaz, James Klise)
Crystal Room, Palmer House Hilton, 3rd Floor
Do queer and questioning teen readers recognize themselves in young adult literature? How does our culture of book banning affect the queer stories we tell? What counts as queer, anyway—does the term include gender identity as well as sexuality? This panel brings together five YA authors whose books feature LGBT, questioning, and cross-dressing characters for a lively discussion of inclusion, visibility, censorship, what we owe today’s youth… and what we can deliver. Loved, loved, loved this workshop. Did I mention I loved this workshop? The panel of speakers at this workshop were friendly, insightful and very encouraging. I left this workshop wanting to write immediately. 

S168. Kids Today: Teaching and Administrating a Young Writers’ Conference
(Juliana Gray, Carrie Jerrell, Rahul Mehta, Susan Morehouse, Margo Figgins)
Red Lacquer Room, Palmer House Hilton, 4th Floor
How do you teach teens the elements of literary craft then sing karaoke with them later the same night? Join teachers and administrators of the Alfred University Creative Writing Summer Institute, the Sewanee Young Writers’ Conference, and the UVA Young Writers Workshop—and a former UVAYW student—to find out. We’ll discuss pedagogy, activities, and how young writers’ conferences can recruit promising undergraduates to your university. 

S191. Coloring Outside the Lines *
(Sandra M. Yee, J. Michael Martinez, Jamaal May, Dina Omar, Jane Wong)
Red Lacquer Room, Palmer House Hilton, 4th Floor
Poets and scholars who identify as writers of color explore connections between racial/ethnic identity and writing. How do we respond to the pressure to represent our cultures? How can we create better support systems for each other? Can (should) we initiate healthier dialogues on race, and who is obliged to take a leadership role in initiating this kind of dialogue? And what does our own writing reveal about how we’re redefining the boundaries of racial and ethnic identity?

S203. Writing About Social Issues in Children’s & Young Adult Books **
(Renee Watson, Coe Booth, Shadra Strickland)
Lake Michigan, Hilton Chicago, 8th Floor
Though the language of children’s literature might be simplified for its audience, the content and craft does not have to compromise its substance and complexity. In this session, panelists talk about the importance of presenting social issues in children’s literature. They will speak about preaching vs. storytelling and share how books about sensitive topics provide a starting place for conversations with children. Authors will read excerpts of their works, followed by a discussion. I thoroughly enjoyed this workshop. Imagine my surprise to see Coe Booth on the panel. She is the author of the YA book, Tyrell. My kids have all read this book and I was so disappointed they didn't have books to sell to have autographed. I didn't know she would be there, (oversight on my part) and so I didn't bring my kids copy. But she and Renee Watson offered some of the best advice at the workshop about censorship and writing for young adults facing social issues.)

S218. The Dome of Heaven: Making an Independent Film
(Diane Glancy, Thirza Defoe)
Boulevard Room A,B,C, Hilton Chicago, 2nd Floor
Independent filmmaking is in. Every time I open my e-mail, I find a new festival. In 2010, I made a film. Several components came together: money, actors, crew, and location. Two weeks and $200,000 later, I had a film, The Dome of Heaven. Independent filmmaking is much like writing a book. It's harder, of course, because many people are involved, but completing draft after draft in filming and editing, submitting the film to festivals, and being accepted or rejected, is similar to the writing process.

This conference was beneficial and rewarding. I learned to prioritize my writing assignments. I was inspired to get back to the passion of writing and to complete some projects I had put on the back burner. I met some fantastic people from all walks of life, from different points in their writing career, some voracious readers and some great bloggers. I will share some more of that in the future. To learn more, go to the AWP website.

Stay tuned this week for my interview with award winning author, Bernice L. McFadden, author of Sugar, This Bitter Earth, The Warmest December, Glorious and Gathering of Waters, just to name a few of her titles. She had some interesting things to say as we discussed the publishing machine behind books and her book Sugar coming to the big screen.

Blessings!

Wordless Wednesday

Me and Nikki Giovanni

I'm at the 2012 Annual AWP Conference!

Each year, The Association of Writers and Writing Programs holds its Annual Conference & Bookfair in a different region of North America in order to celebrate the outstanding authors, teachers, writing programs, literary centers, and small press publishers of that region. The Annual Conference typically features 400 presentations: readings, lectures, panel discussions, and forums plus hundreds of book signings, receptions, dances, and informal gatherings. The conference attracts more than 9,000 attendees and more than 550 publishers. It’s one of the biggest and liveliest literary gatherings in North America. 


This year the conference is being held in Chicago from February 29th - March 3rd. I'm so elated to be in attendance. The Keynote address will be given by Margaret Atwood, author of The Blind Assassin, Bodily Harm and the Year of the Flood to name a few of her works. Also in attendance will be Audrey Niffenegger, who is the author of The Time Traveler's Wife and Her Fearful Symmetry, along with Pulitzer Prize winner and the current United States Poet Laureate, Philip Levine, as well as Rebecca Skloot, author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and wait...wait.....Nikki Giovanni. Yes, Nikki Giovanni! Do you remember my interview with Ms. Giovanni last year? If not, click here to view the three part series we did together. And that's not all, there are so many other talented and distinguished authors in attendance. To find out more about the presenters, authors, workshops or the conference, go the AWP conference site. And if you are here at the conference, let me know so I can say hello! I'll keep you posted on everything going on over the week here in Chicago. Have a wonderful week.

Writing Habits of 21 Famous Authors

I think every writer tries at some point to establish a writing habit. But establishing a good habit of any kind can be quite challenging. Let's first go over what a habit is.

A habit is a pattern of behavior acquired through repetition. Now sometimes we associate habit with bad behaviors that we are trying to stop, but as a writer we need to cultivate healthy habits to help us accomplish our writing goals.

Establishing a good habit means being consistent in your writing goals. By doing so you can be more productive in your writing and more successful in your endeavors.

My writing habits include, writing while the children are at school and writing first thing in the morning. I don't accept phone calls before 3pm if at all possible, unless they are scheduled. I also stop writing at 3pm to make time for my family as they come home from school and work. On the weekends, my schedule is the opposite. I also don't write with the television on. Television is a major distraction for me. I also invested in a dvr so I wouldn't be tempted to turn on the television, that way my favorite shows are recorded and I haven't missed anything.

A habit I'm trying to cultivate is to write without constantly double checking myself. I try not to do a lot of editing until I'm done with at least a chapter. But I'm still working on fighting the urge to edit during the writing process.

Here are some writing habits and writing advice of 21 famous authors. Tell me what you think and if you have any writing habits of your own. Remember what works for one person may not work for another. There isn't a right or wrong way if it's works. Just try to be consistent and productive in your writing.

Happy Writing!

Toni Morrison

"Writing before dawn began as a necessity–I had small children when I first began to write and I needed to use the time before they said, Mama–and that was always around five in the morning. Many years later, after I stopped working at Random House, I just stayed at home for a couple of years. I discovered things about myself I had never thought about before. At first I didn’t know when I wanted to eat, because I had always eaten when it was lunchtime or dinnertime or breakfast time. Work and the children had driven all of my habits… I didn’t know the weekday sounds of my own house; it all made me feel a little giddy. I was involved in writing Beloved at that time–this was in 1983–and eventually I realized that I was clearer-headed, more confident and generally more intelligent in the morning. The habit of getting up early, which I had formed when the children were young, now became my choice. I am not very bright or very witty or very inventive after the sun goes down." For more about this interview visit Linda Sands.


William Faulkner

"The writer must teach himself that the basest of all things is to be afraid; and, teaching himself that, forget it forever, leaving no room in his workshop for anything but the old verities and truths of the heart, the old universal truths lacking which any story is ephemeral and doomed-love and honor and pity and pride and compassion and sacrifice."

Maya Angelou
Angelou has used the same "writing ritual" for many years. She wakes at five in the morning and checks into a hotel room, where the staff has been instructed to remove any pictures from the walls. She writes on legal pads while lying on the bed, with only a bottle of sherry, a deck of cards to play solitaire, Roget's Thesaurus, and the Bible, and leaves by the early afternoon. She averages 10–12 pages of material a day, which she edits down to three or four pages in the evening. Angelou goes through this process to "enchant" herself, and as she has said in a 1989 interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation, "relive the agony, the anguish, the Sturm und Drang." She places herself back in the time she is writing about, even traumatic experiences like her rape in Caged Bird, in order to "tell the human truth" about her life. Angelou has stated that she plays cards in order to get that place of enchantment, in order to access her memories more effectively. She has stated, "It may take an hour to get into it, but once I’m in it—ha! It’s so delicious!" She does not find the process cathartic; rather, she has found relief in "telling the truth".

Octavia E. Butler
First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you're inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won't. Habit is persistence in practice. Forget talent. If you have it, fine. Use it. If you don't have it, it doesn't matter. As habit is more dependable than inspiration, continued learning is more dependable than talent. Never let pride or laziness prevent you from learning, improving your work, changing its direction when necessary. Persistence is essential to any writer -- the persistence to finish your work, to keep writing in spite of rejection, to keep reading, studying, submitting work for sale. But stubbornness, the refusal to change unproductive behavior or to revise unsalable work can be lethal to your writing hopes. Finally, don't worry about imagination. You have all the imagination you need, and all the reading, journal writing, and learning you will be doing will stimulate it. Play with your ideas. Have fun with them. Don't worry about being silly or outrageous or wrong. So much of writing is fun. It's first letting your interests and your imagination take you anywhere at all. Once you're able to do that, you'll have more ideas than you can use. Then the real work of fashioning them into a story begins. Stay with it. Persist. Read my book review of Kindred by Ms. Butler.

J.K. Rowling 
J.K. Rowling would dash to the nearest cafe and write like mad when her daughter Jessica fell asleep. "What you write becomes who you are…so make sure you love what you write! The writing of Harry Potter has been inextricably linked with my life for seventeen years, and saying goodbye has been just as tough as I always knew it would be. If you tackle a novel or nonfiction book, you’ll be living and breathing it for years. If you’re haven’t started writing your book with love and passion, you may be struggling to write for years."


Johnny D. Boggs
"It's called a mortgage. That may come across as flippant, but it's true. I write for a living. No trust fund. No retirement. No steady paycheck. I approach writing like a job. Shower. Go to work in the morning, knock off, if I'm lucky, at late afternoon."

Truman Capote
"I am a completely horizontal author. I can't think unless I'm laying down, either in bed or stretched on a couch with a cigarette and coffee handy. I've got to be puffing and sipping. As the afternoon wears on, I shift from coffee to mint tead to sherry to martinis. No, I don't use a typewriter. Not in the beginning. I write my first version in longhand. Then I do a complete revision, also in longhand."

Terry McMillan
"As a single mother who had to work full-time. Ms. McMillan rose at 5:00 A.M. every morning and spent two hours working on her novel. Then, she would pack up her small son and drop him off at day care on the way to work. McMillan typed and printed her drafts at work during her lunch hour. Fortunately, her coworkers and supervisors were supportive of her effort.

Francine Prose
"Fortunately, or unfortunately, we live in a strange apartment with one twenty-foot-high window facing a brick wall, about a foot and a half away. Not much of a view. So when I'm at my desk I feel like I can work undistracted. I might as well be in the country. Writing while facing a wall, incidentally, seems to me the perfect metaphor for being a writer."

Donna Hill
"When we as writers read good work it can only enhance, stimulate and encourage us in our own solitary endeavors. After reading a good book I feel charged and want to up my writing level. Do I? Hmmmm, only a reader will know for sure, but I certainly hope so. Although my motto is “A writer writes” my other one is, “Any writer worth a damn reads.” Check out my interview with bestselling author Donna Hill.

Ernest Hemingway

Hemingway famously said he wrote 500 words a day, mostly in the mornings, to avoid the heat. Though a prolific writer, he also knew when to stop. He claimed he quit each day in the middle of a sentence. Hemingway wrote, “I write one page of masterpiece to ninety-one pages of shit. I try to put the shit in the wastebasket.”

Flannery O'Connor

In, The Habits of Being: Letters of Flannery O'Connor, she explains,"I'm a full-time believer in writing habits...You may be able to do without them if you have genius but most of us only have talent and this is simply something that has to be assisted all the time by physical and mental habits or it dries up and blows away...Of course you have to make your habits in this conform to what you can do. I write only about two hours every day because that’s all the energy I have, but I don’t let anything interfere with those two hours, at the same time and the same place.” Flannery O'Connor had lupus, extraneous activity was draining during the end of her life. She sat facing the blank surface of her wood dresser, which provided no distractions.


Nikki Giovanni
In a recent interview I did with Ms. Giovanni, she said, "you have the internet, you can do a lot on your own, you can blog, you can set up publishing in a way that was a lot easier than when we were coming up. I would say if you’re interested in writing, you should write." Ms. Giovanni also stated in an essay with Harper Collins, "it's always a bit intimidating to try to tell how I write since I, like most writers, I think, am not at all sure that I do what I do in the way that I think I do it. In other words, I was always told not to look a gift horse in the mouth....I would hope each and every woman who ever thought she wanted to write would at least give it a try."


R.A. Salvatore
"Remember when you were in the second grade and you wrote something you thought ws the best thing you ever written? Then it came back from the teacher covered in red marks, destroying you. That's what being a writer is, every single day. Particularly with the Internet and the loudmouths it inspires, a writer will hear constanly how much he/she sucks. And the bigger you get, the worst it will be. So if you don't believe in yourself, you'll be another of those writers who walks around with his head down, thoroughly depressed. I know a lot of writers, but I know very, very, few happy writers."


Victoria Christopher Murray

In my recent interview with Ms. Christopher Murray, she said, "I have this relationship with food and shelter and so I write. No really, writing is my job. So just like anyone else who has to go to work to survive, I write. I just happen to have a job that I love."


Thomas Clayton Wolfe

I use a typewriter. I set myself a quota — ten pages a day, triple-spaced, which means about eighteen hundred words. If I can finish that in three hours, then I’m through for the day. I just close up the lunch box and go home — that’s the way I think of it anyway. If it takes me twelve hours, that’s too bad, I’ve got to do it.” Thomas Clayton Wolfe, wrote while leaning over a refrigerator because he was so tall, six feet six inches tall to be exact.

Mary Higgins Clark

"I know too many people who've spent months working over the first chapters of their projected novels. That's wrong. Get it down. Bumble it through. Tell the story. When you have fifty or 100 pages typed, you've got something to work with."

Ralph Waldo Emerson
In order to manage fluctuations of intellectual dry spells with that of an abundance of creativity, Emerson kept a journal. Every day he collected even the smallest thought, idea, or dream that crossed his mind. This enabled Emerson to better organize his thoughts when they flowed freely and to spur new ideas when he hit a dry spell. Writing helped Emerson make sense of the world. He would revisit the ideas he had recorded and add to them as he gained new insights.

E. Lynn Harris

Perseverance: Harris attempted suicide in 1990 after a long slide into severe depression and alcoholism left him isolated from work and most friends, broke, and facing eviction. He entered therapy, quit drinking, and began living with friends when he began writing Invisible Life. "The journal that I've been keeping is a way for me to deal with my reassurances of depression," Mr. Harris, said. "I began writing at 33. I wrote out of trying to work some things out in my own life. It was a story that hadn't been told. I feel like in any kind of special novel writing, you have to tell a story that is purely your own, that no one else can write but you. I went into writing this novel with a quiet confidence. If no one else wanted to read it, that was OK." You can read my author and book highlight of his last literary work, No One in the World,, that Mr. Harris co-wrote with R.M. Johnson.

Vladimir Nabokov

"My schedule is flexible, but I am rather particular about my instruments: lined Bristol cards and well sharpened, not too hard, pencils capped with erasers.” Vladimir was an avid user of index cards. Most of his novels were written on 3x5 inch filing cards that were copied, expanded, rearranged and paper clipped and then stored in slender boxes.

Richard Wright
In the biography, Richard Wright: The Life and Times, the author says, Wright got up early, she says, around 6 A.M. – sometimes earlier at the height of summer. Clutching his lined, yellow legal pad, a fountain pen, and a bottle of ink, he walked to nearby Fort Greene Park. He climbed to the top of the hill, where he sat on a bench, looking down on the brownstones and, in the distance, the ragged tenement houses by the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and filled page after page with his scrawling handwriting.

Don't forget to leave a comment and tell me what your writing habits are or what you thought of some of the writing habits of these 21 famous authors.

Nikki Giovanni Poem Spotlight Poetry

Here is one of my favorite poems by Nikki Giovanni. It speaks to me in such a profound way. I hope you enjoy it.

Mothers by Nikki Giovanni

the last time i was home
to see my mother we kissed
exchanged pleasantries
and unpleasantries pulled a warm
comforting silence around
us and read separate books
i remember the first time
i consciously saw her
we were living in a three room
apartment on burns avenue
mommy always sat in the dark
i don’t know how i knew that but she did
that night i stumbled into the kitchen
maybe because i’ve always been
a night person or perhaps because i had wet
the bed
she was sitting on a chair
the room was bathed in moonlight diffused through
those thousands of panes landlords who rented
to people with children were prone to put in windows
she may have been smoking but maybe not
her hair was three-quarters her height
which made me a strong believer in the samson myth
and very black
i’m sure i just hung there by the door
i remember thinking: what a beautiful lady
she was very deliberately waiting
perhaps for my father to come home
from his night job or maybe for a dream
that had promised to come by
“come here” she said “i’ll teach you
a poem: i see the moon
the moon sees me
god bless the moon
and god bless me”
i taught it to my son
who recited it for her
just to say we must learn
to bear the pleasures
as we have borne the pains

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Legacies by Nikki Giovanni

her grandmother called her from the playground  

       “yes, ma’am”

       “i want chu to learn how to make rolls” said the old   

woman proudly

but the little girl didn’t want

to learn how because she knew

even if she couldn’t say it that

that would mean when the old one died she would be less   

dependent on her spirit so

she said

       “i don’t want to know how to make no rolls”

with her lips poked out

and the old woman wiped her hands on

her apron saying “lord

       these children”

and neither of them ever

said what they meant

and i guess nobody ever does

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What poem makes you think about your mother or grandmother?

Spotlight Poetry Contest Day 5

It's has been a busy week. I went to the AWC Writers' Conference last weekend and I needed to decompress so I didn't post my favorite Nikki Giovanni poem yesterday. I didn't post anything yesterday. I was having a zen moment and I enjoyed it. Somedays you have to take it and be in the moment and not worry about the excess or the white noise trying to get you to overwhelm yourself. I've learned to listen to the inner me and when it's time to chill for a moment, I chill. But today is a new day and all is well and I have my favorite Nikki Giovanni poem as well as another poet that is now entered into the Spotlight Poetry Contest. I hope you enjoy both.

Please make sure and leave a special comment and let Ms. L.C. Arrington know what a wonderful job she did.

Have a happy Wednesday.

Blessings!

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My Sister and Me by Nikki Giovanni

Chocolate cookies
Chocolate cakes
Chocolate fudge
Chocolate lakes
Chocolate kisses
Chocolate hugs
Two little chocolate girls
In a chocolate rug

No one can find us
We're all alone
Two little chocolate girls
Running from home

Chocolate chickies
Chocolate bunnies
Chocolate smiles
From chocolate mommies
Chocolate rabbits
Chocolate snakes
Two little chocolate girls
Wide awake

What an adventure
My, what fun
My sister and me
Still on the run
Still on the run
My sister and me
Still
On the run

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L. C. Arrington (poetic alias L-A-Quent) has always had a love for poetry and writing. She is a spoken word artist, has contributed as a freelance writer for various online magazines, has been featured in this years 15th annual Moonstone Arts Poetry Ink, has had numerous speaking engagements and recently has released her first book entitled “Prescriptions of a Poet: Remedies of the Heart”. In addition to writing she enjoys staying active in the community and is also involved in youth mentorship programs. http://www.honestly-speaking.org/    http://www.facebook.com/laquent.poet
 

Frustrated

Frustrated by my circumstances.
Frustrated by things that are beyond my control.
Feels like I'm Sailing a ship on dry land,
Drinking sand to quench my thirst.
Flying a kite underwater,
Lighting a candle with no wick,
Reading with my eyes closed,
Screaming with my mouth shut.
Floating against the pull of gravity.
I gasp for air. Inhaling to push air out, exhaling brings it back in again.
Up is down, left is right, wrong is...still wrong.
Eternity is ephemeral.
Frustrated by my circumstances
Frustrated by things that are beyond my control.
Everything is contradictory to my belief, therefore if I'm frustrated then I must be on the brink of
Fulfillment. I welcome fulfillment
I take it firmly in my grasp
Grateful for what I’ve experienced and never missing what I’ve never had

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What did you think of the two poems? I enjoyed them both because I could relate to both. What are your thoughts?