Eulogy: For TyWanza Sanders

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A quiet, well-known student, committed to his education

A young man filled with promise

A renaissance man of sorts

A warm and helpful spirit 

The peacemaker of the family

He always had a smile on his face

It was impossible not to like him

—

Allen University grad, Business Administration; poet, musician,

skateboarder; hair stylist. “Ambition over adversity,” you said.

“I want to go to grad school,” you said. Humble but driven,

you always told your mother you’d be famous. At twenty-six,

the youngest of those gathered to pray,

you faced the white man who’d pulled a gun

in the midst of your loved ones

and said calmly, “You don’t have to do this.”

He insisted that he did. You asked that he shoot you instead

of your eighty-seven-year-old grandmother.

He replied that it did not matter. He was

going to shoot you all. You dove to save her. You were

the first to fall. Your mother and niece survived

by playing dead, and there is no doubt

some part of them did indeed

die that day. There are so many things you could have been

famous for. No one imagined

it would be this.

 

The massacre of nine people on Wednesday, June 17th at the historic Emanuel A.M.E. church in Charleston, South Carolina, is a tragedy of national proportions. I feel strongly that this is a time for all Americans to act in whatever way we can to address the racial hatred that lives on in our country in ways both great and small. This is the fourth of a series of poems honoring the victims of the Charleston shooting.

The words that open this poem are those of people who knew TyWanza Sanders, including college administrators, family members, and close friends. The moving story of his heroism on the night of the tragedy are related in a story by the New York Times. Detailed reminiscences on his life from his four close friends, his “band of brothers,” appear in a recent article from Vibe.

Eulogy: For Sharonda Coleman-Singleton

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello, Reverend Chineta. This is Sharonda.

I know it has been some time since we talked,

but I want you to know that I love you.

All things are well. All things are good. 

I do want you to to know 

that all things are good. 

—

High school track star,

pastor, mother, teacher, coach–

she was a lady, first, he said,

elegant and articulate, the best

speech pathologist he had ever worked with.

Coach, your son plays college ball.

Mrs. Singleton, your children speak beautifully

of you. Pastor, Reverend Chineta, whom you called

to leave that message, thinks you knew

that you were called. She’s in a better place,

they say, which may be true.

She made this place a better place.

This we know is true, though all may not yet

be well.

 

The massacre of nine people on Wednesday, June 17th at the historic Emanuel A.M.E. church in Charleston, South Carolina, is a tragedy of national proportions. I feel strongly that this is a time for all Americans to act in whatever way we can to address the racial hatred that lives on in our country in ways both great and small. This is the third of a series of poems honoring the victims of the Charleston shooting.

The words that open this poem are from a voicemail that Sharonda Coleman-Singleton left for her college friend and fellow pastor Chineta Goodjoin two weeks before her death. Some of the words in the second half of the poem are from a tribute to Mrs. Singleton from her children and those who knew her at Goose Creek High School, where she had taught since 2007. Reminiscences on her life and legacy appear on the high school’s athletic association’s Facebook page.

Eulogy: For Cynthia Hurd

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A true public servant

A woman of faith

She was always a very smart young lady

She loved reading from a very young age

Although she had no children, she had a community full of children

She touched the lives of thousands of people

Her loss is incomprehensible

—

Charleston Public Schools; Clark Atlanta University;

University of South Carolina; a self-proclaimed “book-nerd,”

you returned to the community that raised you in order to

raise it in return. You encouraged children as new readers,

watched them grow as they worked on homework assignments,

filled out college and job applications and, ultimately,

returned to the library with children of their own.

The library, that most egalitarian institution,

like the church you loved, turned no one away;

your story ends at Mother Emanuel,

but the library, that bastion of liberty,

mother of many

will forever bear your name.

 

The massacre of nine people on Wednesday, June 17th at the historic Emanuel A.M.E. church in Charleston, South Carolina, is a tragedy of national proportions. I feel strongly that this is a time for all Americans to act in whatever way we can to address the racial hatred that lives on in our country in ways both great and small. This is the second of a series of poems honoring the victims of the Charleston shooting.

The words that open this poem (and some of those in the second half as well) are those of Cynthia Hurd’s brother and others who knew her. She was an employee of the Charleston County Public Library system for thirty-one years and the manager of the St. Andrews Regional Library, which Charleston City Council member Elliott Summey announced at a recent press conference will henceforth bear her name. More information about Cynthia Hurd and the legacy she leaves is available from the Charleston County Public Library system.

Eulogy: For Reverend Clementa Pinckney

 

 

 

 

 

 

God, we welcome and invite you

into this place, your house.

We thank you for the spirit

that dwells here, the spirit 

of Denmark Vesey, the spirit of 

R.H. Cain, the spirit of

Dr. King–the spirit of so many

unsung heroes of our people. 

We also thank you, God, for all persons

who come seeking to expand their horizons

and learn more of what our country is made of,

who we are as a people and as a country. We pray for

the safe travels of all who are here and for 

the safe return of them as they

go back home. We hope that our time here spent today

will be seen as an act of love,

as well as an act of righteous indignation

in the face of injustices

and we pray that all persons here today

may feel your presence and be drawn

closer to you. In Jesus’s name we pray.

Amen.

—

Drawn to the ministry at thirteen; class president;

student body president; a pastor at eighteen;

state representative at twenty-three; magna cum laude;

two master’s degrees. Your name the same

as a local plantation. Your name the same as so many

in my husband’s Charleston high school class.

You preached in the house Pastor Vesey built,

shuttered for forty years after he was hung

for conspiring an uprising. You preached

in the house where Dr. King

called on Negroes to vote. You spoke

on the senate floor

in a voice so richly literate,

so judiciously rhythmic,

so humane we could not help but hear

Dr. King’s in it. As a people, as a country, I know,

we would give anything

to hear it again.

 

The massacre of nine people on Wednesday, June 17th at the historic Emanuel A.M.E. church in Charleston, South Carolina, is a tragedy of national proportions. I feel strongly that this is a time for all Americans to act in whatever way we can to address the racial hatred that lives on in our country in ways both great and small. This is the first of a series of poems honoring the victims of the Charleston shooting.

The words that open this poem are those of Reverend Clementa Pinckney, from a speech given during the 2013 Civil Rights Ride. I discovered it in an article in the Atlantic, which addresses the perils of pastoring a church “baptized in blood and fire.” More information about the late Reverend Clementa Pinckney is available from Emanuel A.M.E. Church.

 

Fiction Benediction

For my birthday this year, I got a story accepted to Forest Avenue Press’s anthology of fantastic fiction. I’ve got another story in the Clackamas Literary Review (available here!) and another coming out this summer from VoiceCatcher.

Anyone who writes knows how much struggle it involves, and 2015 has had its share of personal struggles as well. That’s why, in keeping with my general philosophy of Throw Yourself a Party!, I’m celebrating victories great and small today–and dedicating this poem to everyone committed to the craft. Cheers!

 

Job Counseling

If you are a liar, and cannot seem to stop lying,

consider fiction.

 

If as a child you were like an adult.

If as an adult you are like a child.

 

If you have a lot of imaginary friends,

and those friends have friends of their own.

 

If others are amazed at how little you’ve managed to accomplish.

If any question regarding this requires lengthy explanations.

If people occasionally have a hard time following.

 

If you’ve always loved poetry,

but poetry won’t have you.

If you’d often rather eavesdrop.

If you’re prone to reading in bars.

If a hot date with Middlesex is your idea of a good time.

If you tend to wind up in a corner at the party

discussing Lady Chatterly’s Lover with some earnest young nerd

while others bump and grind.

 

If you require so much psychoanalysis that you could not possibly afford to hire a shrink.

If you have irrational aversions to certain words, but not what those words refer to:

flesh, for instance, or pink.

 

If you guard the truth ruthlessly then spill it when you’re drunk.

If you’ve got some alarming heirlooms packed up in a trunk.

If mortifying memories are precious to you.

If you cannot help but imagine the worst.

If your dead relatives haunt you.

If remunerative occupations bore you.

If you have a history of heartbreak in your family.

 

If you’re always in character,

no matter who you are.

 

Sit back and consider:

madness, depression, melancholy?

Might not be so bad. What we’re suggesting,

obviously, is a last resort. Say,

if no one can talk you out of it.

George R. R. Martin, Anne Groell, and Me: Norwescon 38

This will totally be me at Norwescon. Except, I won’t be Emma Watson.

The time has come, friends, for the pilgrimage to Seattle for Norwescon! This fantasy and sci fi con is a veritable mecca of NW geekdom, with a strong literary focus, and I had so much fun there last year I nearly peed myself. (Well, not really, but you get the idea.)

This year’s guests of honor include the one and only George R.R. Martin, of Game of Thrones fame, as well as his editor at Del Rey, Anne Groell.

I’m psyched to meet George, of course, and have my picture taken in the Iron Throne. But perhaps even more so to meet one of the women with a hand in some of the biggest, baddest, best sci fi and fantasy out there (Groell has also edited sci fi/fantasy legend Connie Willis), and an acclaimed author herself.

That is, if I don’t clench up in utter geek-worship.

If you want to make sure you run into me, here’s my schedule for the weekend:

Thu:

Practice Your Pitch
Thu 8:00pm-9:00pm – Cascade 10
Kevin Scott (M), Susan DeFreitas, Frog Jones, Tricia Narwani

Fri:
Writers Workshop Round Robin: John Demboski, David Benedict, Heather Roulo
Fri 10:00am-12:00pm – Baker
Christopher Bodan (M), Kurt Cagle, Susan DeFreitas, Frances Pauli

The Hero’s Journey
Fri 2:00pm-3:00pm – Cascade 9
Steven Barnes (M), GregRobin Smith, Susan DeFreitas, Leslie Howle, Dean Wells

Revising From Feedback
Fri 4:00pm-5:00pm – Evergreen 3&4
Dean Wells (M), Susan DeFreitas, Rhiannon Held, Jack Skillingstead, Tim McDaniel, Renee Stern, Anne Groell

Sat:
Reading: Susan DeFreitas
Sat 10:00am-10:30am – Cascade 1
Susan DeFreitas (M)

First Page Idol
Sat 3:00pm-4:00pm – Cascade 9
Phoebe Kitanidis (M), Susan DeFreitas, Kate Jonez, Cat Rambo, Tod McCoy, Patrick Swenson

Forms of Plot Structure
Sat 4:00pm-5:00pm – Cascade 9
Steven Barnes (M), Gregory A. Wilson, Susan DeFreitas, Matt Youngmark, Mike Selinker

Character Arc, Plot Arc, Story
Sat 5:00pm-6:00pm – Evergreen 1&2
Nina Post (M), Randy Henderson, Craig English, Nancy Kress, Alex C. Renwick, Susan DeFreitas

Also, if you’re there as a panelist, perhaps I’ll see you at one of these panelist-only events (your secret decoder ring should reveal the locations):

Writers’ Workshop Social –Sat between 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Art Show Reception – Thursday – 8pm-10pm

Small Press Social – Thursday – 9pm-Midnight

Spotlight Publisher Party – Friday – 9pm-Midnight
Seattle Social – Saturday – 9pm-Midnight

As a final thought:

The Talent Myth

Recently, Ryan Boudinot published an article in Seattle’s The Stranger entitled “Things I Can Say About MFA Writing Programs Now That I No Longer Teach in One.” I know I’m not alone in feeling like this article made me want to breathe fire.

I know I am not alone, in part, because Chuck Wendig–novelist, screenwriter, game designer, and one of the wittiest people on Twitter–has said everything I wanted to say to the author of this article, everything that has been stewing on the back burner of my brain since first it found its way into my newsfeed.

Whether or not you have an MFA, I recommend reading both of these articles. They say a lot about the many difficulties writers face in bringing their work into the world. These are also some of the same difficulties faced by artists in any medium, particularly in regards to what I think of as the Talent Myth: the idea that you either have it or you don’t.

For the record, I work with beginning writers all the time. Some of their work is nothing short of atrocious at first. But they get better. Book by book, project by project, I’ve seen it again and again–they find their groove, tune in their frequency, and gain the skills. They publish, traditionally or otherwise; people read what they write and are better for it.

Writing is hard. No question. But I absolutely and categorically reject the notion that writing or any other art form should only belong to the people who do it best. What would the world be without the neighborhood blues band that gets you out on the dance floor and lifts the weight of the week? Without the local painter who has rendered the exact mood of a certain place and time that you both know and love? Without community theater and dance performances and choirs?

Sure, aim high–aim as high as you want. But do not mistake a lack of “success” for failure. Arts and culture are the soul of humanity, and they belong to all of us.

Also, just for the record, I’m sure I was never one of those five “real deal” MFA students who changed my teachers’ lives. I just think I had something to say and didn’t know how to say it yet.

Speaking of speaking, I’ll be a featured reader on Wednesday, March 11th, at the Alberta Street American Legion Post as part of the Legion Readers Series. The theme is “Space,” and we’ll be celebrating both the birthday of Douglas Adams and the life of Leonard Nimoy. How awesome is that? =)

Those of you local to PDX, I hope to see you there.

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/events/932889556735060

P.S. As of this week, I’m beginning the process of revising my literary novel Hot Season along the lines suggested by a publisher–one I’m excited to work with. I’ll keep you posted!

The Seven Deadly Sins of Dialogue

Ursula K. Le Guin has said that scenes with dialogue are where emotion happens in fiction. According to the emerging body of neuroscience on fiction, such scenes are also where fiction most clearly approximates actual lived experience, that “vivid and continuous dream” of which John Gardner spoke.

That may help to explain why readers love dialogue—some so much so that they’ll skip right over your meticulously written descriptions and summaries to get straight to the goods: people talking to each other.

But dialogue is also a place where things can easily go south. As an editor, I have become far too acquainted with all the ways that otherwise competent writers can absolutely hamstring their fiction—precisely at the point it counts most.

Read the rest of latest post for Litreactor here.

7 Tips for Higher Word Counts in 2015

The New Year is often a time when we take a good hard look at what we accomplished (or failed to) in the previous twelve months while looking ahead, in glory, to all we will accomplish in the year to come.

Of course, most New Year’s resolutions are no more than the big brother of that to-do list you made in the morning that causes you to actually LOL in the afternoon (otherwise known as a Planning Fallacy). That’s why it can ultimately be more productive to focus on establishing new habits in the New Year rather than simply focusing on the same goals that continue to elude you.

Remember Einstein’s definition of insanity: if you want different results, try something different. Something that might help you overcome those obstacles—psychological, personal, or logistical—that have been holding you back from the glory that is rightfully yours.

Read the rest of my latest for LitReactor here!

2014 in Review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

Here's an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 4,400 times in 2014. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.