Elizabeth Acevedo was the 2022 Young People’s Poet Laureate and the New York Times-bestselling author of The Poet X. Elizabeth Acevedo was the 2022 Young People’s Poet Laureate and the New York Times-bestselling author of The Poet X, which won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, the Pura Belpré Award, the Carnegie Medal, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and the Walter Award. She is also the author of With the Fire on High—which was named a best book of the year by the New York Public Library, NPR, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal—and Clap When You Land, which was a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor book and a Kirkus finalist. Her next book, Anger Is Only a Shadow, was released on September 15, 2026. She holds a BA in Performing Arts from The George Washington University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland. Acevedo has been a fellow of Cave Canem, Cantomundo, and a participant in the Callaloo Writer’s Workshops. She is a National Poetry Slam Champion and resides in Washington, DC, with her family. HEIRESS After Firelei Baez’s given the ground (the fact that it amazes me does not mean I relinquish it, 2017) adorned in incarnadine headdress / her mouth is a blank slate, but is not a comb / a mouth full of teeth? / blades hidden in her tignon / the same needle / that threaded her headdress pierced her ear / azabache dangles feathers from an ear lobe / the fist as blessing, the fist as ancestor / woman with cosmos gas / tatted on her shoulder, and throat, bright as magic / that does not require tonguing / right cheekbone, starred and puce / she is grandmother of the turtled-shell forehead / and framed in unpainted porcelain /she spawns a legion of heiresses we count ourselves one, and one, and one MAGNALIA In the neonatal care unit the slippers the nurses gave me scritch the linoleum with every step I am the wound of me gauze-less stitches need to breathe for the first few days I do not know the shape of my son’s nose distorted by the nasal cannula I learn a lot of words I learn all the human systems that need to lockstep in order for a babe to breathe tomorrow momma is going to weep, it is going to all hit her the head doctor tells Shakir in the morning when the unrequested breakfast tray arrives an everything bagel sliced on its side I count the smallness of each poppyseed stuck in the bread sesame seeds like slivers of nail beds bright under an incubator’s light SELF PORTRAIT AS LILITH some days you seem so disappointed, love but you knew what it was. i am your dread wife. you will not throw me out of eden i walk myself to the door. o! there is no snake i plant the tree. i pluck the apple i bite. the pomegranate the passion fruit whatever the fuck. i am feast unto myself. in this wilderness the feral things name me. & i was raised to one day wash my husband’s feet at night. of course i molted made myself a woman who unmakes home. refused to be whittled to a fine point but you like me piercing. beloved i will not only writhe when coming. my vow: break through every shell fully impossible. your vow: lap every slick of the yolk. THE INTERVIEW This interview was conducted between Elizabeth Acevedo and Jae Nichelle on August 27, 2026. These poems are incredible; thank you so much for sharing them. Can you speak to the moments that birthed “Heiress”? What was your first reaction entering Firelei Baez’s exhibit? I was a couple of months postpartum when the National Gallery of Art had an exhibit titled Afro-Atlantic Histories. Her piece “given the ground (the fact that it amazes me does not mean I relinquish it, 2017)” took up almost an entire wall. There was a bench placed in front of it, and probably on three separate occasions I visited that piece and just sat with it. I was moved by the details, the headwrap, the comb, the galaxy with fuchsia pop painted onto the skin, the missing mouth–the mouth I imagined. Something in my womb-wound body wanted to commune with her. That final image of “Magnalia” is so evocative. At what point in the drafting process of this poem did you know you would end here? Okay, I just realized that all these poems are tinged with my postpartum experience! I tried to put language to those early days of having my son, and him needing to be in the NICU. Childbirth is so, so huge, and the baby is so, so small. I would stick my hand in through the bassinet hole on the side, and let him wrap his tiny fist around my finger. You know, their nails aren't hardened when they’re first born. The nails are soft, peelable, smaller than a grain of rice. Which is to say, I had no idea that the final image would be the final image. I didn’t know this would be a poem. I was trying to language the vastness and the small gestures; what fed me and allowed me to feed him. The splitting, splitness, of practicing motherhood in those early days. What was different for you about the process of writing your new book, Anger is Only a Shadow, from your previous books? What did you have to learn before you could write it? I had to learn a different relationship to time. Both the time it took to process my brother’s illness, which this novel pulls from, and the time it took to revise, and revise, and revise again. To surrender myself without impatience to the language. I used to say I had to write fast enough to outrace my anxiety. But with this novel I had to write slow, invite my anxiety to sit and rest, and not bother me until I was done. I also had to try and figure out the prose poem. How does one balance narrative and language and the trappings of the sentence? In a 2020 Oprah Daily Interview, you mentioned wanting to be “thoughtful about pushing against the expectations” when it came to your second book. Is that still something you consider when drafting? How much do you consider your audience and readers when thinking about what to do next? Or is that too much of a distraction? Nah. I follow the ideas, the language, the urgency of a story pulsating beneath my skin and itching for me to write it. I think that what makes an artist and audience relationship special is that the artist creates from a place of what thrills and haunts them, and then an audience that didn’t even know they wanted to be thrilled and haunted is moved by the offering. I’d love to know: What was the most memorable poetry slam you ever attended? What do you wish you’d known at the time? The Women of the World Poetry Slam in Austin, Texas, 2014 was really special. I hadn’t competed individually as an adult, and it brought me into the community of slam in a way that was really meaningful. So many incredible writers and thinkers! I don’t think I broke the top twenty-five that year, but I learned a lot about myself and about how spoken word in that space had grown from when I’d been a young person. How incredible to be surrounded by so many competitive and creative women! You said in a LitHub interview that you love the cooking show Chopped. Do you think you could beat your culinary-trained character Emoni in a Chopped competition? Out of all the characters you’ve written, who would place second and third? Ha! This is such a fun question! I think Emoni would kick my ass if she was able to keep things timed tightly. I’ve been preparing to be on Chopped my whole life, though. I know exactly what I would make for the entree and dessert regardless of what ingredients I’m given–so I’m ready! I would say that my girl Yadi from Family Lore is an incredible vegan chef and would place second, and Tía from Clap When You Land would probably take third if she’s able to pull off a sancocho with the basket ingredients. What in D.C. keeps you inspired? I love the skyline here. How low it is. I have so much sky. I love the water–the Tidal Basin, the Potomac, and the Anacostia River. I love the museums and that they are free and that they welcome us. I love the metro, the fashion; D.C. has a relationship to color and structure that’s unlike anywhere else. How can people support you right now? Order Anger is Only a Shadow! Name another Black woman writer people should know. Eve Ewing. Amber McBride. Naima Coster. ### Torch Literary Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit established to publish and promote creative writing by Black women. We publish contemporary writing by experienced and emerging writers alike. Programs include the Wildfire Reading Series, writing workshops, and retreats. Donate to help Torch amplify Black women writers.

Sheree L. Ross is an award winning screenwriter and director, born in the Midwest, with deep southern roots. She is Black, female, queer…and her stories often reflect the strong, flawed nature of Black southern queer folx, whether through action, drama, mystery or comedy. Sheree was one of the co-writer's for the Audible narrative drama, Loops, starring Vivica A. Fox, produced by Migrante Media. Her romantic comedy Accidental Hearts won the Austin Short Film Festival and was a quarter-finalist for The Page International Awards. Her original pilot Kingdom, was a Second Round finalist at the Austin Film Festival and her action adventure feature Dr. Frankenstein: The Black Diamond of Bamileke, was a quarter-finalist for Fresh Voices Screenwriting Contest. Sheree has also written three metaphysical books, and is the founder of the popular social media platform Women Filmmakers of Color @womenfilmofcolr. Her most recent work, a play, Two Million Years of Rain, was a semifinalist in The Austin Playhouse’s 2026 Festival of New Texas Plays. TWO MILLION YEARS OF RAIN THE MAIN CHARACTERS Breanna, 38 - Desperate to prove her worth. Angel, 34 - Very ambitious and unconcerned with the past. THE FRIENDS Jas, 38 - Along for the ride, unless she feels ignored. Imani, 38 - Mothering to almost smothering. Makena, 38 - Codependent to her wife, and her friends. Karma, 38 - Life of the party, clueless to the impact of her actions. THE STRANGER Octavia Smith, 60's - Famous author. Sometimes oracle. THE STORM The beginning of the next two million years of non-stop rain, though no one knows that yet. It is relentless and is heard throughout. It creates tension and is unsettling as it does its best to blow down the walls of this house and its occupants. ACT ONE A NOTE: A video display: BREANNA and ANGEL on their social media account, The Happily Married Lezzies, with five million followers. The video shows how happy they are as a couple, their glamorous travels, enviable brand campaigns, and their life at home. This will run until the curtain rises to... SCENE ONE A BANG of thunder, flashes of lightning, and rain coming down in buckets. Breanna struggles to wrestle out an oversized suitcase from the trunk. Angel impatiently looks on, holding an umbrella. Eventually... ANGEL (over the loudness of the storm) Move. Let me try! Breanna does not move, so now the both of them are trying. ANGEL (CONT'D) (frustrated) Forget it! Angel slams the trunk shut and exits the stage opposite Breanna. SCENE TWO A gust of wind enters with Angel, Breanna is not far behind. They work together to shut the door, then immediately start to strip, moving towards the kitchen. Angel holds on to her clothes as she disrobes, Breanna drops her wet clothes where they lay. ANGEL (picking up behind Breanna) Not on our new teak floors! SCENE THREE They enter the kitchen. The storm in here seems louder and even more menacing. Angel puts on the kettle, then goes offstage. She returns with fresh towels. They wrap in the towels as Angel pours them both cups of tea. ANGEL (sipping tea) You okay? BREANNA (off somewhere in your mind) Oh, sorry. Yeah. I'm just...exhausted. ANGEL Your flight was delayed... BREANNA ...five hours. ANGEL I'm just happy you're home. (still probing) I missed you. Did you get our agent's schedule? BREANNA (taking a sip) Yes. ANGEL You sure you're okay? BREANNA It's late. ANGEL (annoyed) It's 7:30. We don't go to bed mad. What's got into you? Work? BREANNA No... ANGEL (alarmed) Is your mom okay? BREANNA Oh, she's fine. ANGEL Okay, I'm all out of guesses. Breanna hesitates then moves to the other side of the island, putting it between them. ANGEL (CONT'D) Ooo...it must be serious. BREANNA Um. Karma told me something. ANGEL Oh? BREANNA About a little secret of yours. ANGEL Okay? BREANNA A secret that could ruin everything we've worked so hard to create. ANGEL Tell me! BREANNA She says you were sleeping with your ex the whole year we were engaged. ANGEL (hiding relief) Oh. A huge clap of thunder scares them both. BREANNA Oh? That's all you have to say? ANGEL I never lied to you about it...directly. BREANNA So, you lied indirectly...for years. ANGEL You and I got married. I stopped sleeping with her. Done. What difference does it make, now? BREANNA What difference does it make, now? We've built an entire empire on us being “The Happily Married Lezzies". You don't think that little revelation isn't important? ANGEL We weren't even married. BREANNA Yeah, but sleeping with your ex the whole time we were making money off of our "perfect engagement" isn't great. ANGEL People won't care. BREANNA I care! Angel heads off stage to the perceived laundry room. You hear her starting the dryer. BREANNA (CONT'D) (shouts after Angel so she can hear) Brand partners care! You slept with somebody you swore broke your heart! Was it worth possibly breaking mine? ANGEL (O.S.) That! I didn't want to hurt you. BREANNA Come on, Angel, be serious. ANGEL (O.S.) It happened. I regretted it. BREANNA (getting angry) Regretted it? Angel returns to the kitchen. ANGEL Regret it. (pause) If I had told you...it would have hurt in the moment. But you knew how much I loved you...love you. Would it have really made a difference? BREANNA Of course. I could have processed it. We could have run some kind of PR around it. ANGEL Do you ever think about anything without a business angle? (annoyed) Process....PR... BREANNA It's how we make our living. ANGEL But it's not. We both have other businesses. BREANNA (on reflection) It's how we've made our lives. Neither of them knows what to say to that. ANGEL You and Jas were sleeping together while we were engaged. BREANNA But you knew that. ANGEL You didn't try to PR that... BREANNA Hmmm. Why'd you do it? ANGEL (enough) I don't know. BREANNA By the way, it's called ethical non-monogamy. ANGEL What is? BREANNA What we agreed to be, before we got married...it's called ethical...non-monogamy. ANGEL (sarcastic) Sooo sexy. BREANNA Open communication...consent by parties...not lying by omission. Angel pours more tea and goes into the living room. She wraps herself in a blanket, clearly frustrated. Breanna follows. SCENE FOUR BREANNA It may be in the past, but for now it's making me really upset. There is something about this night...something in our Universe has been disturbed. ANGEL Well, that's ominous. BREANNA And this storm isn't helping. What is that Shakespeare saying? "By the pricking of my thumb, something wicked this way comes." There is a big BANG of thunder and the lights flicker. ANGEL Stop it. You're scaring me. BREANNA How did she know, anyway? ANGEL Who? BREANNA Karma. ANGEL I really don't remember. Best guess, since she is your best friend, maybe I needed some advice. BREANNA Some best friend. ANGEL Well. You didn't marry Miss Perfect. You married me. BREANNA (mellowing) I did. ANGEL And I didn't marry Miss Perfect, either... BREANNA My father would agree with you on that. ANGEL Please stop blaming him for everything that disappoints you in your life. It's not a good look. Who cares how we got here. (sassy) We're here, baby! BREANNA I need a drink. You want one? ANGEL Sure. Breanna pours them a stiff drink from the bar cart. Angel joins her. ANGEL (CONT'D) Remember our trip to Italy? BREANNA I thought you didn't dwell in the past. ANGEL I thought you'd enjoy this stumble back in time. BREANNA (holding up your glass) Cheers! They clink glasses together, standing close, and take a drink. ANGEL We had a glorious time. BREANNA It was paid for in full by Virgin Airlines as part of a promotional. And I think we got 100,000 new followers from that trip. ANGEL We did look amazing in that campaign. There is sexual tension growing between them. BREANNA We did. ANGEL There was that one night, we had been dressed by Louis Vuitton, given box seats to La Boheme at La Scala. Then we had chef's table seating at Seta. BREANNA (happily remembering) And had Michelin Star Italian decadence. Mmmm... ANGEL After, we decided to ditch the photo crew... BREANNA We slipped into this bar. ANGEL I can't even remember the name. BREANNA It was perfectly dark and seedy. ANGEL Yes. I said to you, ''drinks are on me!” BREANNA And drink we did. ANGEL Whew. Yes. Anyway, I got out my purse, looked inside...and...no wallet. BREANNA Noooo...wallet. They stay close but the temperature has cooled a bit between them. ANGEL I thought it had been stolen. BREANNA I remember how upset you were. ANGEL You paid, graciously. BREANNA I did. ANGEL Here I was trying to do something special for my beloved, who treats me like the queen that I am, and I had no money to pay for it. BREANNA I remember. ANGEL So after you paid, the photo crew caught up with us but we begged off. We wanted to get back to the hotel and file a police report. When we entered our hotel room...there...on the bed, was...my wallet. BREANNA You had changed purses and forgotten to take it. They stand apart. A different tension surrounds them. ANGEL I had changed my purse. I laughed...as much out of relief as anything. And I said, let's go down to the bar...drinks on me...for real this time. And you said... BREANNA I have a headache. Go without me. ANGEL Yes, you did. BREANNA I did have a headache. ANGEL And I...went...without you. Had a wonderful time. Very cute girl at the bar... BREANNA I remember. The photo crew remembers, too. It cost us a pretty penny to spin those photos. ANGEL But she was so cute and quite delicious. (pause) It was petty. I see that now. BREANNA It's just how you communicate when you get upset. You turn your affections to someone else. ANGEL You say that in the present tense? BREANNA If the shoe fits... ANGEL So, you still haven't really forgiven me for that night. BREANNA (downing rest of drink) I thought you said...you didn't like to dwell...(exasperated) besides, we've been over this in therapy... ANGEL Well, I'm sorry it hurt you. (pause) I do love you, you know. BREANNA You frustrate me. ANGEL (fishing) And, I love you. BREANNA (giving in) I love you, too A thunderous clap! BREANNA (CONT'D) (standing) I'm gonna to go stay at my sister's when the rain lets up. I already called Jenta and let her know. ANGEL (seriously?) Really? You told Jenta...our manager, before you told me? BREANNA Business, before pleasure, my dear. ANGEL Did you call Jas and let her know, too? BREANNA Why would I do that? ANGEL She is our accountant. Did you call our lawyer, Saja? Our pool person, Matt? BREANNA Funny... ANGEL And you wonder why I don't tell you things. The rain is very loud. BREANNA (worried) It's really coming down out there. Breanna goes over and turns on the radio, looking for the weather channel. After a few staticky turns, Mary J. Bilge - Be Without You, comes on. ANGEL Baby...baby...stop, it's our song! BREANNA (nonplused) Yeah. Breanna moves past it. ANGEL No...go back. Angel goes over and puts her arms around Breanna, from behind. Breanna moves away from the embrace. Angel fiddles with the dials and gets it back to the song which she turns up and begins to sing to Breanna. ANGEL (CONT'D) Come on, dance with me. "...and I can't live without you, baby...." Breanna dances stiffly as Angel takes her hand. Breanna gives in a little. They start to sway back-and-forth, then Angel starts to sing again. ANGEL (CONT'D) (not thinking about the lyrics) "...but I wanna ask you...would you lie...make me cry...do somethin' behind my back and then try and cover it up...?" Breanna pushes away. Angel turns down the radio. ANGEL (CONT'D) (finally hearing the lyrics) Huh...maybe we need a new song. Car lights appear in the large window. The couple doesn't notice. Hot lightning fills the windows followed by a thunderous BOOM. The lights go out. BREANNA Shit. KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! BREANNA (CONT'D) SHIT! Breanna grabs a bat that is by the coat rack. ANGEL Who could be knocking at our door...in this storm? Angel comes up behind her, a large flashlight now in hand. BREANNA This cannot be good. ### Torch Literary Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit established to publish and promote creative writing by Black women. We publish contemporary writing by experienced and emerging writers alike. Programs include the Wildfire Reading Series, writing workshops, and retreats. Donate to help Torch amplify Black women writers.

Nora Hylton is a Jamaican American writer from San Francisco, California. She holds a B.A. in English Literature from Yale University and is the recipient of the Charles P. Howland Fellowship for her writing. Her fiction explores themes of young adulthood, focusing on experiences of love, loss, and grief in urban Black and West Indian communities. The Path of Least Resistance The bodies at the party were hot and timid; barely concealed desire quivered between them like gelatin. I couldn’t make out faces in the dark, but I looked anyway. Some swayed in circles, their feet moving independently from their bodies as if the room was melding into a swirl of colors and lights. Others looked nervously at everyone else and took small sips from their own cup. It was reassuring that no one wanted to seem as if they were having too much, or too little fun. It was everyone, not just me, who was pretending, molding themselves like stiff clay into the person they wanted to appear to be. Letty saw James first, sitting on the couch against the opposite wall with his long legs crossed at the ankles. “There’s your boy.” Letty pointed, and I grabbed her hand down. My stomach felt as though it was collapsing in on itself, and I fought to keep my breathing regular. A lanky girl wearing a red halter top got up and switched the radio station. The beat became jumpy, embellished with metallic synths and a loud thumping bassline. Letty pushed me up from the couch, and as if controlled by a remote, I was walking over. “I’m Abigail,” I said once I was standing in front of him. I tucked a loose curl behind my ear and tried to smile without my bottom teeth, the way Letty and I had practiced. Up close, James was just as beautiful as from far away. His eyebrows were thick, and I felt an urge to run a finger against the grain of the hair and smooth it back down. “We took AP Literature together.” “Abigail. From AP Lit. Sorry, I don’t remember.” “That’s fine.” “Do you smoke?” He gestured to a pair of French doors which led out to a dark backyard. “Not usually.” I shrugged. My heart felt like it was beating triple time in my throat. “But, yeah. Let’s go.” The first week of senior year, Letty and I decided we would become the best versions of ourselves. Letty was closer than I was. She was already detached and cool. She had lived in Southern California with her mother until seventh grade and had a certain kind of nonchalance which couldn’t be faked. She could make light-hearted jokes about her C-minus papers and sent pictures of her naked chest to boys from Mill Valley, kissing them without shame in the back of their mother’s minivans. The first time I saw James, I was struck that I had never seen anyone like him before. He joined our class after our sophomore year summer—his father was a neurosurgeon who had been relocated to UCSF from a smaller hospital in New Hampshire. James was attractive—not like those billboards on Market Street where men were draped sensually over women in a way that made you want to buy the perfume they were wearing. He didn’t look like a model—the bump in his nose was too pronounced, and his cheeks were peppered with the beginnings of stubble and pockmarked by old acne scars. He was thin, but it wasn’t a curated thinness. It was a lankiness, the length of his limbs emphasized by the way he sat, one leg slung over the other, so casual you had to look away. He was the type of person who only existed in the far reaches of the northeast—I imagined he’d spent his summers at his grandparents’ eclectic country home where they picked blackberries and talked about electoral politics over dinner. I’d never wanted someone, or something, so much. He wore his pants too short, and his exposed ankle—just bigger than my wrist—made me aware of the burn in my thighs as they rubbed against my jeans. The best version of myself went to parties thrown by girls she didn’t know. She laughed hard at jokes and woke up early to straighten her hair. She kissed boys because she could and didn’t feel weird about it the next morning. Outside there was still a chill in the air—June was just barely awake, and the city didn’t get really warm until late August. James bent over me and put his rusty silver lighter to the end of the joint held delicately between my fingers. “To your mouth. Bring it to your mouth and suck in.” The lighter ignited with a click, illuminating both of our faces. I could see colors in the flames, bright blue near the base and a muted orange at the tip. The first drag wasn’t so bad. Based on what I saw on television, I thought my first time smoking would make me cough or maybe throw up. I sucked on again, the orange tip glowing in time with my breath. “It’s not bad for you. Weed.” James took the lit joint from my hand. My skin buzzed where his fingers touched mine. He took a slow drag, watching my face closely. “It’s just a plant. Tobacco, too—not as bad for you as everyone says.” I didn’t know what to say. I just nodded. “That makes sense.” When the joint was down to the butt, he showed me how to put it out. Lifting his foot, he mimed rubbing the lit end against the sole of his shoe. I copied his movements, the black ash clinging to the bottom of my Converse. Then, he leaned in and touched his mouth to mine. His lips felt harder than I expected, two muscly pieces of flesh moving rhythmically against my own. I closed my eyes and tried to let the moment sink deep inside me. This was kissing. I was being kissed. The first time I drank, I stayed over at Letty’s house. Her parents were out at a gala, and we had the house to ourselves. She didn’t live in an apartment like I did; it was a proper house. We drank vodka from her parents’ liquor cabinet mixed with lemonade we bought from the deli a few blocks away. When we finished pouring the alcohol, we filled the empty bottle with water. After an hour of drinking, the world around me was spinning. I was sure it was the movement of the earth I was feeling. If I lay on the carpet with my eyes closed, I swore I could feel the twenty-three-degree tilt. “You need to throw up.” Letty told me matter-of-factly, as if at sixteen years old the world was so obvious to her as to be boring. We’d leaned over the toilet together in the guest bathroom. I put two fingers into my own mouth, which felt soft and warm, and then further back. I could feel the ridges of my throat contracting and pulsing. It felt unnatural, as if I was a machine receiving a factory reset before being recycled into something new. “Hold still.” Letty’s fingers joined mine. We fought for dominance, fingers slick with spit and bile before Letty said, ‘stop,’ and I relented. She was fair and efficient; she prodded the back of my throat only a few times before my stomach contracted and the toilet was full of vomit. My mouth tasted sour and felt hot. I thought I might cry. My knees ached from being pressed against the tile floor, and when I sat back against the bathroom door, they were covered in thin red lines where the skin pinched. “You’ll be okay now.” Letty’s smile was intended to be reassuring, but I still felt the burning from my stomach up to my throat. I couldn’t meet her eyes. That night, I called home. It was late, and I hoped for a second my mother wouldn’t be up. The line rang and then crackled. “Abigail? What you doing callin’ this late? Is everything okay?” “Yes, Mummy. I just wanted to call to see that you were alright,” I lied. “I just miss you, that’s all. You and Daddy.” She paused. In my mind, I could see my mother sitting alone in our small kitchen, weighing her next words. I cradled the phone next to my face. “Do you need to come ’ome? You sound funny, Abigail.” “No, Mummy. It’s okay. I just wanted to call.” “Alright, then. Goodnight, baby.” “Goodnight.” After that, I started throwing up after every meal. I pictured my stomach as a vat of acid, which in some ways it was. Corrosive, defective, bubbling inside of me and threatening to make itself known. “You have great tits,” Letty told me one night. It had been unusually hot all day, but a cool breeze had come in from the Pacific as the sun went down, providing a reprieve and the occasional whiff of salty seawater. We were sitting with our feet up on her parents’ balcony, the skyline glowing in the distance. It felt like the whole city was stretching out to meet us, each building lit up for our benefit. She wiggled her red-painted toes in my direction. “They’re big but perky. That’s real luck.” Her compliment made me feel a rush of pride. I’d never thought about my body like that before, as something that belonged to me that other people might envy. Before, it didn’t seem to matter that much. But, looking in the mirror that evening, I found myself agreeing with Letty. It did matter that I had great tits, and my stomach muscles were taut, hidden under a layer of fat and skin. I could tell I was almost there, even if I didn’t know where there was. My mother always told me that I looked like my brother. She didn’t mean it as either an insult or a compliment. It was just true. We had the same flat nose, the same big eyes. They came from our grandmother. My mother said she brought them all the way over from Jamaica, just to remind her of home. The week before graduation, James asked me if I wanted to get coffee with him. It seemed so mature, asking someone out for coffee. I said yes. It was the part of the year at school when no one could get any serious work done. The teachers don’t even try anymore, and everyone just wants out. We had nearly done it; high school was almost over. Our weekends were full of pre-graduation parties and the jitters of knowing that in a few months, our lives would be completely different. Letty helped me get ready. She blew out my hair with a hairdryer and pinned it to keep the loose curls intact. I shivered each time her comb scraped my scalp, parting my hair into precise sections, which she held against the mouth of the hairdryer, fighting to make my curls straight. It was raining, and Letty gave me a scarf to wear around my head, which felt silky cool against my skin. I felt Audrey Hepburn glamorous. When I arrived at the coffee shop, James was already sitting by the window. I ordered a hot chocolate, and he paid. I ignored my mother’s voice, which echoed too loudly in my head, don't take nothing for free from these people dem, dem come back for it someday. Four years at St. Andrew’s had taught me a lot about rich kids. When they mentioned “family friends,” they were often talking about important people like CEOs of companies or well-known artists who made political art pieces out of recycled packing peanuts. Rich kids ate at expensive restaurants, described items on the menu as ‘pricey’ with near-authentic concern, and then paid for the meal with their parents’ metal credit card. Between sips of coffee, James told me about his family. The youngest of three, his older brother was a financial analyst who lived in North Beach, and his sister was about to graduate college. I told him I lived with just my mom, which was true. I didn’t elaborate and hoped he would fill in the gaps of what I didn’t say with romantic ideas of what my life was like. When we’d both finished our drinks, he invited me back to his apartment. The building had a doorman. James signed me in at the front desk, and we rode up in the elevator holding hands. The window in James’ room was open, and the rain had formed a puddle on the hardwood. He started to take his clothes off, starting with his jeans. This is the man I’ll marry. We’ll have three kids; we’ll name them things like Olivia and take them to sushi restaurants in Pacifica for their birthdays. He bent to take off his shoes, and his back became a pale arch in the fading afternoon light. I reached out to touch his skin, and it struck me how dark my hand looked against his body. It was my first time having sex. He whispered, it doesn’t matter, in my ear, and I agreed, it didn’t matter. It felt good, and it felt good to feel good. If I had to describe it, I’d say it felt like cracking the shells of sunflower seeds between your teeth—that same anticipation. James groaned quietly, his hard body pushing me into the mattress. When he pulled me on top of him, I thought about ecstasy. Was this it? Was I touching it right now? Afterwards, he asked me about growing up in San Francisco. People were interested in what it was like to grow up somewhere, instead of nowhere. I told him about the public swimming pool a block from our house where I learned to swim, and the ice cream trucks swarmed by young children spending their allowances on popsicles shaped like cartoon characters. I told him about my elementary school, stuck between two city blocks, and how from the playground we could see blue and red blurs of cars speeding past the chain-link fence. His hand lazily brushed my bare side, stroking up and down in small circles. The feeling of his fingertips made my skin prickle. “You’re going to Middlebury, right? My sister’s a senior there.” “Yep, in a few months.” I glowed with happiness, nodding. “I’ll say ‘Hi’ if I meet her.” “You don’t have any siblings, right?” “I did. I do.” I began. The words tumbled out of me, my mouth moving without my permission. “Just one brother. But he’s in jail.” James paused. He turned towards me, as if waiting for me to acknowledge a poorly timed joke. Then, he blinked rapidly and turned away. “What did he do?” His tone was hushed, like I was telling a ghost story. “Killed someone.” I shrugged like it didn’t matter to me. Like I didn’t know how else to say it. “Oh,” he said. The ‘Oh’ hung in the air, hollow and floating. Not like the sound, but the letter. O. He looked over at me, the left half of his face illuminated in a warm, yellow glow of his table lamp. From his expression, I knew I made a mistake. I could see that the sympathy ended at his eyes, which appeared unfocused in the harsh light. I tucked my toes under myself and buried my face in the sheets, cooling down from the shame. James lifted his chin up towards the ceiling once more, staring at the headboard above us. “Fuck. That’s intense.” “I don’t talk to him much.” I was backtracking, giggling anxiously. The room had grown colder, and I scooted closer to his warm, naked body. “It’s not a big deal.” I watched the wrinkles around his eyes until he closed them. He nodded, as if he understood. I never thought about Linton. I didn’t know what made me say it. The memories I had of him were clouded by childhood, and by a sense that the brother I’d grown up with wasn’t real. It was a lie; a person he created to trick me into loving him. I’d gone on visiting days with my mother, but seeing him sitting in the jumpsuit, his face worked into a permanent guilty grimace, was too much. My mother still visited him every week, but I hadn’t been in years. “Oh fuck,” James said. He’d pulled the sheet back to get out of the bed and was staring at the mattress between my legs. I looked down to where James was looking. The sheets on his bed below me were stained red. It was a small puddle, no bigger than a Post-it note. But it was there. He looked at me then with terror, so much so that for a second, I thought he must’ve seen something else, a ghost or his parents coming home. His eyes were wide and his breathing so heavy that I thought he might faint. My heart was beating very fast, and I closed my legs to hide the stain. He asked me if I was okay, if he had hurt me. “I’m fine, I’m fine.” I started laughing then, a laugh closer to a bark. I didn’t know exactly where it was coming from, but it was somewhere deep in me. I didn’t even know what was funny. I felt crazy. I wondered if he thought I was crazy, too. He told me where the bathroom was, and I got up to clean off. My body felt full and heavy with each step. A rivulet of blood dripped down my thigh. I locked myself in the bathroom off his room and leaned over the toilet. The toilet seat felt cool against my pounding head. My fingers tasted chalky, and it only took a moment before I was spitting the contents of my stomach into the toilet bowl. With the flush, it was all gone. I felt lighter for a second, and then heavy again. “Are you throwing up in there?” James called from his room. “No,” I called back. “I’m almost finished.” I wiped my mouth on the back of my sleeve and left the bathroom. James was in the hallway, pretending not to listen to me. He looked young in the darkness, like a child. We both were, I guess. Children. “Thanks for having me. I had a great time.” He walked me to the front door, and I cried on the train ride home. My mother met me at the door of the apartment. She didn’t mention that I was an hour past curfew. If she could see that I’d been crying, she didn’t say anything. She just held me and rocked back and forth. I thought in that moment she might say something—something wise and knowledgeable about the way the world worked. My mother tended to turn these rare moments of intimacy into pronouncements about the world and our place in it. Usually, they had to do with Jesus or white people or America. But she didn’t say anything. She just held me and rocked, stroking the top of my head with her open palm. ### Torch Literary Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit established to publish and promote creative writing by Black women. We publish contemporary writing by experienced and emerging writers alike. Programs include the Wildfire Reading Series, writing workshops, and retreats. Donate to help Torch amplify Black women writers.

Latest News Oct 28, 2026 Continuing our Anniversary Year with the Fall 2026 Season Torch’s 2026 Fall Season continues on this year’s theme of sustaining community, now with a physical space to grow. Read More Oct 9, 2026 Torch Announces the 2026 Nominations for the Best of the Net Eleven Torch Features were nominated for creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and visual art featured in Torch Magazine. Read More Sep 22, 2026 A Grand Opening Recap: A Thank You to Our Community for Showing Up and Celebrating We opened our first-ever physical location at the LINC of Austin with a grand opening reception on August 11 and continued welcoming the community with three weeks of activities. Read More Aug 25, 2026 Celebrate Torch’s 20th Birthday & Our Mission to Amplify Black Women Writers Our wish this August is to gain 20 new Community Impact Members & more! Find out how to celebrate our birthday with events, well wishes, and donations. Read More Jun 28, 2026 Thanking Our Funders for their Support for Black Women Writers In our 20th Anniversary year, seven major funders are stepping up to support Torch’s mission to amplify Black women writers. Read More Jun 1, 2026 June is a Celebratory Time for Black Women Writers This June, we’re celebrating queerness, Black Texans, Caribbean heritage, and lyricists who bring their magic and impact to the Torch community. Read More Apr 29, 2026 Torch Announces First Ever Nominations for Best New Poets Anthology Two Torch Features, Tiezst "Tie" Taylor and Mecca M. Miles, are Torch’s inaugural nominees for their outstanding poems. Read More Apr 2, 2026 Celebrating 20 Years of Highlighting Black Women in Poetry Torch is elated to celebrate National Poetry Month and the Black women poets in our community. Read More Mar 31, 2026 Torch Literary Arts Announces New Board Member Dalia Azim joins the Torch board, bringing her expertise in literary programming and partnerships in the Austin literary community. Read More Mar 12, 2026 Torch Literary Arts to Open Registration for “A Gathering of Flames: Celebrating 20 Years of Torch Literary Arts” on March 16th The inaugural gala and conference will feature Rachel Eliza Griffiths, Sharon Bridgforth, Patricia Smith, and Crystal Wilkinson from September 25-27, 2026, in Austin, Texas. Read More Mar 6, 2026 Celebrating Women and a Sustainable Future with Torch This year’s Women’s History Month Theme urges us to celebrate women who are taking charge in regard to sustainability, and this International Women’s Day urges us to give to gain. Read More Mar 3, 2026 Torch Returns to the 2026 AWP Conference in Baltimore For four days, Torch will join other writing organizations, writers, publishers, students, and more at the largest literary conference in the country. Read More Feb 27, 2026 Torch Literary Arts Welcomes New Team Member Torch adds a new position, Administrative Associate, to help with daily operations and support the needs of Torch Center. Read More Feb 5, 2026 Austin Film Society Joins Torch Literary Arts as New Community Partners The two organizations will amplify a series of film screenings showcasing Black women screenwriters, directors, and films that reflect Black culture. Read More Feb 1, 2026 Celebrating the Milestones of Community and History through Literary Greatness and Storytelling this Black History Month This year’s Black History Month theme, “A Century of Black History Commemorations,” urges us to acknowledge the historical impact of Black narratives. Read More Jan 29, 2026 Kicking Off 20 Years with the Spring 2026 Season Torch’s Spring 2026 Season builds on the history we've made in our 20 years of strengthening the literary community of Black women writers. Read More Jan 29, 2026 Important Transitions to Torch's Board of Directors This board transition includes the retirement of former board treasurer, Candace Lopez, election of new board treasurer, Dana Weekes, and the election of new board secretary, Rachel Winston. Read More Jan 28, 2026 Torch to Raise $10,000 during one of Austin’s Largest Giving Days Torch joins over 700 nonprofits during Amplify Austin to raise funds for Black women writers. Read More Jan 2, 2026 Celebrating a New Year with a Growing Community Taking the time to thank you all for your support in 2025 and share exciting news for 2026. Read More Dec 29, 2025 Ending the Year Strong with Community Impact and Growth Taking time to thank you all for your support in 2025 and share plans to end the year strong. Read More Dec 9, 2025 A Big Thank You to Our Major Funders In 2025, seven major funders supported Torch’s mission to amplify Black women writers. Read More Dec 5, 2025 Torch Raises $5,593 for 2025 GivingTuesday Campaign Joining one of the largest international giving days, Torch raised $5,593. Read More Dec 1, 2025 Torch Announces the 2025 Nominations for the Pushcart Prize Six Torch Features, Jordan E. Franklin, Joi' C Weathers, Imani Nikelle, Yolanda Kwadey, Jennifer Maritza McCauley, and Marchaé Grair are nominated for their respective works. Read More Nov 19, 2025 Torch Literary Arts Celebrates GivingTuesday with a Board Match, Supporter Toolkit, Giveaway, and More. Torch is joining millions around the world participating in the global generosity movement on December 2, 2025. Read More Nov 5, 2025 Torch Literary Arts Returns as a Partnering Organization for the 2025 Texas Book Festival Over two days, Torch will host poets Tiana Clark and Donika Kelly in Austin for a series of inspiring readings and conversations. Read More Oct 22, 2025 Torch Literary Arts Announces Transitions to 2025 Board of Directors This board transition includes the retirement of former board secretary, Stephanie Lang, and the election of new board member, Rachel Winston Read More Oct 15, 2025 Torch Announces the 2025 Nominations for the O. Henry Prize Two Torch Features, Jennifer Coley and Jessica Araújo, are nominated for their respective short fiction stories. Read More Oct 9, 2025 Celebrating the Second Annual Donor-Advised Funds Day Torch Literary Arts encourages families and individuals with donor-advised funds to consider supporting Black women writers and the programs we offer. Read More Sep 16, 2025 Torch Announces the Nominations for the Best of the Net Eleven Torch Features were nominated for their works in creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and visual art in Torch Magazine. Read More Sep 2, 2025 Torch Literary Arts Announces the Torch Center Coming Fall 2025 The local Austin nonprofit organization dedicated to building community for Black women writers will now have a physical location at the LINC of Austin. Read More Aug 28, 2025 Torch Literary Arts Releases Fall 2025 Season Torch’s Fall 2025 Season includes dynamic readings, a screenwriting conversation, book festivals, workshops, and more! Read More Aug 20, 2025 Torch Announces 2026 Dates for 20th Anniversary Celebration “A Gathering of Flames” will take place in Austin, Texas, from September 25 to 27, 2026, celebrating Black women writers and 20 years of Torch’s growing community. Read More Aug 1, 2025 Celebrating Torch and Black Philanthropy Month All August Long Torch is celebrating 19 years of community and impact with CIM goals, new updates, and more! Read More Jun 5, 2025 Celebrating the Intersectionalities of Black Women Writers June is a month full of pride for queer, Caribbean, and song-filled Black women writers and the readers who love them. Read More May 28, 2025 Torch Announces New Community Impact Member Donation Initiative The Community Impact Membership (CIM) program provides Torch’s monthly donors of at least $10 and annual donors of at least $100 with exclusive items and updates. Read More Apr 24, 2025 Torch Announces the 2025 Retreat Fellows Torch returns for a third consecutive year to host eight fellows at their annual retreat for Black women writers at the Colton House in Austin, Texas, from July 20-27, 2025. Read More Apr 1, 2025 Celebrating Black Women's Contributions to Poetry All Month Long Continuing on months of celebrating Black History Month and Women’s History Month, we’re keeping the acknowledgments alive with National Poetry Month Read More Mar 27, 2025 Torch Literary Arts Awarded AWP Writing Organization Award This is the first-ever Writing Organization Award by the Association of Writers & Writing Programs, which is awarded to literary organizations based on the legacy of writing organization advocate Kurt Brown. Read More Mar 17, 2025 Torch Literary Arts Recognized at the Ireland House During SXSW with Prime Minister of Ireland Micheál Martin Torch’s “Writers Across the Diaspora” program in partnership with the Irish Consulate, Culture Ireland, and Texas State University was highlighted. Read More Mar 11, 2025 Celebrating Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day This year’s themes of moving forward together and accelerating change reinforce Torch’s mission to ALWAYS support Black women writers and the stories they share. Read More Mar 7, 2025 Torch Raises over $6,000 during Amplify Austin Campaign Joining over 700 nonprofits for one of the largest giving days in Central Texas, Torch raised over $6,000 to amplify Black women writers worldwide. Read More Feb 10, 2025 Help Torch Raise $10,000 during Amplify Austin’s 2025 Giving Campaign! For the third year in a row, Torch is participating in Austin’s metro-wide giving day to merge the Black women literary community with the wider Austin giving community. Read More Feb 10, 2025 Wintergreen Women Writers Collective and Torch Literary Arts Partner to Host Welcome Table Talks Series featuring Black Women Writers The two literary organizations dedicated to creating community for Black women writers will host a series of talks over the next three years thanks to funding from the Mellon Foundation. Read More Jan 31, 2025 Celebrating Black History Month by Acknowledging Black Women Writers and Their Contributions to Literature Torch is using this year’s Black History Month theme “African Americans and Labor” to highlight the literary work we do to share our voices. Read More Jan 24, 2025 Torch Literary Arts Announces 2025 Spring Season Torch’s 2025 Spring Season is full of community collaborations, readings, writing workshops, and more to empower and encourage Black women to continue telling their stories. Read More Jan 10, 2025 Torch Literary Arts to Open Applications for the 2025 Torch Retreat on February 3rd The Torch Retreat will host its third annual writing retreat for Black women writers at the Colton House in Austin, Texas from July 20-27, 2025. Read More Jan 3, 2025 City of Austin Cultural Arts Division Awards Torch Literary Arts the Thrive Grant along with Other Cultural Arts Organizations in Austin The Cultural Arts Division awarded $13 million in funds to local arts and cultural organizations for a second year with Thrive and Elevate grants. Read More Jan 3, 2025 Torch Literary Arts Announces Retirement of Board Member Dr. Omi Osun Joni L. Jones Dr. Omi Osun Joni L. Jones joined the board in 2023 bringing her expertise as an artist, performer, author, and scholar to help support Black women writers. Read More Jan 3, 2025 Welcoming the New Year with Love and Community Taking the time to thank you all for your support in 2024 and share exciting news for 2025 Read More Dec 12, 2024 'Tis the Season for Gifts & Giving Find out how to support Torch and our community sponsors and supporters this holiday season! Read More Dec 4, 2024 Torch Surpasses Fundraising Goal for 2024 GivingTuesday Campaign Joining one of the largest international giving days, Torch surpassed its fundraising goal of $5,000. Read More Nov 22, 2024 Torch Literary Arts Celebrates GivingTuesday with Community and Board Matches, Ignite the Night, and More. Torch is joining millions around the world participating in the global generosity movement on December 3, 2024. Read More Nov 22, 2024 Torch Announces the Nominations for the Pushcart Prize Six Torch Features, Erica Frederick, A. E. Wynter, Sydney Mayes, Chidima Anekwe, Chyann Hector, and Mon Misir, are nominated for their respective works. Read More Nov 15, 2024 Torch Executive Director and Features Named as Brooks Living Legacy Honorees 20 Torch community members were named Living Legacy Honorees Read More Nov 1, 2024 Torch Literary Arts to Celebrate and Amplify Black Women Writers During the 2024 Texas Book Festival Over two days, Torch will host poet, essayist, and novelist Morgan Parker and Los Angeles Poet Laureate Lynne Thompson, and embark on a literary book crawl showcasing the works of the organization’s previous features. Read More Oct 18, 2024 Torch Literary Arts Welcomes New Team Members Thanks to capacity-building funding, Torch adds a Creative Content Associate and Administrative Fellow to the Team. Read More Oct 7, 2024 Celebrating National Book Month with Torch Literary Arts This October, Torch is celebrating National Book Month with Torch Day, an inaugural international program, and much more! Read More Sep 6, 2024 Torch Announces the Nominations for the Best of the Net Nine Torch Features were nominated for their works in creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and visual art in Torch Magazine. Read More Sep 5, 2024 Torch Literary Arts Receives National Book Foundation Grant The National Book Foundation awarded Torch funding from the Capacity-Building Grant Program. Read More Aug 30, 2024 Torch Announces the Nominations for the O. Henry Prize Two Torch Features, Felicia A. Rivers and Lydia Mathis, are nominated for their respective short fiction stories. Read More Aug 29, 2024 Torch Literary Arts Releases 2024 Fall Season Torch’s 2024 Fall Season includes international poets, a screenwriting panel, workshops on character building and memoirs, the Wildfire Reading Series, and more! Read More Aug 2, 2024 Celebrate Torch’s 18th Birthday & Our Mission to Amplify Black Women Writers Our wish this August is to gain 18 new monthly recurring Torch supporters & more! Find out how to celebrate our birthday with events, well wishes, and donations. Read More Jul 19, 2024 Torch Literary Arts Welcomes Erin Waelder to the Board of Directors Erin was welcomed to the board in June, bringing her extensive background in development communications. Read More Jul 12, 2024 Torch Literary Arts Receives Poetry Foundation Grant Torch Literary Arts (Torch), a nonprofit organization dedicated to amplifying Black women writers, will receive funding from the Poetry Foundation. This is the nonprofit’s second year receiving funding from the foundation. Read More Jun 28, 2024 Torch Literary Arts Receives Burdine Johnson Foundation Grant This is Torch's third year receiving the grant that serves Central Texas arts, education, historical preservation, and environmental sustainability causes. Read More Jun 5, 2024 Celebrate Pride Month by Amplifying Queer Black Voices At Torch, we recognize the many impactful contributions that queer Black women writers have given us and wish a Happy Pride to all those celebrating! Read More May 31, 2024 Torch Feature Yael Valencia Aldana Receives Pushcart Prize For the second year in a row, a Torch Feature has received a Pushcart Prize for their amazing work published in Torch Magazine. Read More May 24, 2024 Torch Literary Arts to Receive Grants for Arts Allocation from the National Endowment for the Arts This is Torch's second year receiving funding from National Endowment for the Arts. Funding will go towards artist honorariums for retreats, workshops, panels, and readings. Read More Apr 12, 2024 Torch Announces the 2024 Retreat Fellows Eight fellows were selected to attend the second annual retreat for Black women writers at the Colton House in Austin, Texas from July 21-28, 2024. Read More Apr 11, 2024 Torch Literary Arts Welcomes Dana Weekes to Board of Directors Dana Weekes was welcomed to the board in March, bringing her extensive background in law and policy, and commitment to creation as self-care. Read More Apr 5, 2024 Celebrating National Poetry Month with an Ode to Poets Every April, Torch is elated to celebrate the Black women who put words to feelings by celebrating National Poetry Month Read More Mar 22, 2024 Website Updates: New Transparency Documents, Including Three-Year Strategic Plan Torch Literary Arts updates website to include transparency documents including IRS Form 990s, Annual Reports, and the 2024-2026 Strategic Plan. Read More Mar 8, 2024 Celebrating Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day Torch Literary Arts acknowledges and celebrates the many literary contributions of women to history and the wonderful Black women writers across the diaspora. Read More Feb 16, 2024 Torch Literary Arts Opens Applications for the 2024 Torch Retreat The Torch Retreat will host its second annual writing retreat for Black women writers at the Colton House in Austin, Texas from July 21-28, 2024. Read More Feb 9, 2024 Celebrating Black History & Futures 24/7, 366 days This Black History Month, Torch acknowledges the importance of amplifying Black women writers year-round. Read More Jan 30, 2024 Austin Community Foundation Announces Torch Literary Arts as one of The Black Fund Grant Partners The Black Fund’s recognition of Torch Literary Arts as a grant partner allows Torch to continue hosting special events for Black women writers in the Austin community. Read More Jan 26, 2024 Torch Literary Arts Unveils 2024 Spring Season Torch’s 2024 Spring Season is full of workshops, panels, an interactive literary cooking event, and much more to help Black women writers share their unique stories. Read More Jan 16, 2024 Torch Literary Arts Announces Transitions to 2024 Board of Directors This year’s board transition includes the retirement of former board chair, Florinda Bryant, and elections of new board chair, Dr. Sequoia Maner, new secretary, Stephanie Lang, and new board member, Shannon Johnson Read More Jan 9, 2024 Culture Ireland Awards Torch Literary Arts Funding to Host Irish Poets Torch will use the Culture Ireland funding to host Irish poets Nithy Kasa and FELISPEAKS for interactive writing workshops from October 1-7, 2024. Read More

< Back Continuing our Anniversary Year with the Fall 2026 Season Oct 28, 2026 Torch’s 2026 Fall Season continues on this year’s theme of sustaining community, now with a physical space to grow. Building on 20 years and our Spring Season’s theme of programmatic foundations and new collaborations, Torch is excited to finish celebrating our anniversary year with our Fall 2026 Season. This time, with the opening of the Torch Center! Our recurring events still include the Writing Circle, which occurs twice a month on Monday evenings and Saturday mornings. You can sign up to write virtually with the global Torch community signing up here . Our other recurring event, the Turn Up Open Mic, is on the first Tuesday of every month and gives local community members a dedicated space to share their work. You can purchase tickets to The Turn Up here . Our special events this season include: Torch x AFS: Wild Style on November 1 and November 3 Torch is a proud promotional partner of Austin Film Society (AFS). Join us for this special screening of Wild Style , a fun hybrid doc following hip-hop directed by Charlie Arhean. Use Torch’s discount (TORCH4) and get $4 off your ticket for being part of the Torch community! The Turn Up Open Mic on November 3 The Turn Up is Torch’s monthly open mic series at the Torch Center. Poets, storytellers, and songwriters are welcome to sign up for the open mic. Black and BIPOC women are encouraged to share their original work. An Evening with Shara McCallum on November 5 Join us for An Evening with Shara McCallum, author of Behold . Presented by Austin Community College , this event will include a reading, conversation, and book signing. November Saturday Open House on November 7 Torch is extending normal Torch Center hours to Saturday brunch-goers and shoppers. You can spend your Saturday at the Torch Center! Shop for your new favorite book, stay for coworking and community. Every purchase supports Torch Literary Arts. Torch x AFS: Boyz N The Hood on November 10 and November 14 Torch is a proud promotional partner of Austin Film Society (AFS). Join us for this screening of Boyz N The Hood , a special 3-part screening series commemorating Mark D. Cunningham’s new book, Once Upon a Time in South Central LA: John Singleton’s Hood Trilogy . Use Torch’s discount (TORCH4) and get $4 off your ticket for being part of the Torch community! Torch x Texas Book Festival feat. Deesha Philyaw and LaToya Watkins on November 14 We’re proud to join the Texas Book Festival once again as a community partner for the Texas Book Festival ! Join us for a conversation featuring Deesha Philyaw, author of The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman , and LaToya Watkins, author of The Book of Chuck ! A book signing will follow. Texas Book Festival Lit Crawl Torch Showcase with Amy DuBois Barnett, LaToya Watkins, Amena Brown, Elizabeth Acevedo, and Renée Watson. Hosted by Amanda Johnston on November 14 Join us for this inspiring evening of literature with Amy DuBois Barnett, LaToya Watkins, Amena Brown, Elizabeth Acevedo, and Renée Watson. Hosted by Amanda Johnston. Click here to learn more about the Lit Crawl. Torch x AFS: Poetic Justice on November 17 and November 21 Torch is a proud promotional partner of Austin Film Society (AFS). Join us for this screening of Poetic Justice , a special 3-part screening series commemorating Mark D. Cunningham’s new book, Once Upon a Time in South Central LA: John Singleton’s Hood Trilogy . Use Torch’s discount (TORCH4) and get $4 off your ticket for being part of the Torch community! Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie at the State Theatre on November 20 The State Theatre, Torch Literary Arts, and Texas Book Festival Present KNIFE: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie . A Q&A with Cinematographer/Exec Producer Rachel Eliza Griffiths will follow. Arrive early to shop Torch Literary Arts’ pop-up bookshop in the lobby, and stay after the screening for a Q&A with the film’s cinematographer and executive producer Rachel Eliza Griffiths. Torch x AFS: Baby Boy on November 24 and November 28 Torch is a proud promotional partner of Austin Film Society (AFS). Join us for this screening of Baby Boy , a special 3-part screening series commemorating Mark D. Cunningham’s new book, Once Upon a Time in South Central LA: John Singleton’s Hood Trilogy . Use Torch’s discount (TORCH4) and get $4 off your ticket for being part of the Torch community! The Turn Up Open Mic on December 1 The Turn Up is Torch’s monthly open mic series at the Torch Center. Poets, storytellers, and songwriters are welcome to sign up for the open mic. Black and BIPOC women are encouraged to share their original work. Last Holiday at the Torch Center on December 9 Get into the holiday spirit with this free special movie night complete with Torch community and a special holiday activity. You can RSVP and check out more details for specific events by visiting torchliteraryarts.org/events . We can’t wait to see you! ### About Torch Literary Arts Torch Literary Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit established with love and intention in 2006 to publish and promote creative writing by Black women. We publish contemporary writing by experienced and emerging writers alike. Torch has featured work by Toi Derricotte, Tayari Jones, Sharon Bridgforth, Crystal Wilkinson, Patricia Smith, Natasha Trethewey, Elizabeth Alexander, and others. Programs include the Wildfire Reading Series, writing workshops, and retreats. For more information about Torch Literary Arts, please visit https://www.torchliteraryarts.org/ or follow @torchliteraryarts on Instagram. Help Torch continue to publish and promote Black women writers by donating today. About Austin Film Society (AFS) Founded in 1985 by filmmaker Richard Linklater, AFS creates life-changing opportunities for filmmakers, catalyzes Austin and Texas as a creative hub, and brings the community together around great film. AFS supports filmmakers towards career leaps, encouraging exceptional artistic projects with grants and support services. AFS operates Austin Studios, a 20-acre production facility, to attract and grow the creative media ecosystem. Austin Public, a space for our city’s diverse mediamakers to train and collaborate, provides many points of access to filmmaking and film careers. The AFS Cinema is an ambitiously programmed repertory and first run arthouse with broad community engagement. By hosting premieres, local and international industry events, and the Texas Film Awards, AFS shines the national spotlight on Texas filmmakers while connecting Austin and Texas to the wider film community. AFS is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. About Texas Book Festival The Texas Book Festival, the largest book event in Texas and one of the premier literary Festivals in the nation, returns for its 29th year on November 16–17 in downtown Austin! Free and open to all, attendees can look forward to a star-studded lineup of more than 250 authors, engaging programming for all ages, book signings, food trucks, cooking demonstrations, and a Saturday night Lit Crawl in East Austin. About Paramount Theatre The Paramount and State Theatres host over 550 events annually – from star-studded film premieres to the nation’s largest comedy festival – while bringing arts into the classroom for thousands of Central Texas students. Through it all, we ensure the careful preservation of these treasured monuments to Austin’s history. Previous Next

Torch Literary Arts publishes creative writing by Black women online. We curate public events including our Wildfire Reading Series and offer workshops and retreats. Introducing our law firm Amplifying Black Women Writers Torch Literary Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established to publish and promote creative writing by Black women. We publish contemporary writing by emerging and experienced writers alike. Torch Magazine has featured work by Toi Derricotte, Tayari Jones, Sharon Bridgforth, Crystal Wilkinson, Patricia Smith, Natasha Trethewey, Elizabeth Alexander, and others. Programs include the Wildfire Reading Series, writing workshops, retreats, and special events. Torch Magazine Read Online October 2026 Feature: Elizabeth Alexander Elizabeth Alexander is the author of multiple award-winning books, including The Trayvon Generation, American Sublime, and The Light of the World. She has been awarded the Jackson Poetry Prize, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship, the George Kent Award, the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, and three Pushcart Prizes for Poetry. Elizabeth Alexander is a prize-winning and New York Times best-selling author, renowned poet, educator, scholar, and cu Friday Feature: Sheree L. Ross Sheree L. Ross is an award winning screenwriter and director, born in the Midwest, with deep southern roots. She is Black, female, queer…and her stories often reflect the strong, flawed nature of Black southern queer folx, whether through action, drama, mystery or comedy. Sheree was one of the co-writer's for the Audible narrative drama, Loops, starring Vivica A. Fox, produced by Migrante Media. Her romantic comedy Accidental Hearts won the Austin Short Film Festival and was 2025 Torch Visual Artist: Nitashia Johnson Nitashia Johnson is a multimedia visual artist and educator from Dallas, Texas whose work has been exhibited across Texas and internationally. To care about stories is to care about the world, and understanding our own gives us purpose. For as long as she can remember, storytelling through art has been Nitashia Johnson’s way of understanding the world around her and her place within it. As a multidisciplinary artist and educator from Dallas, Texas, her journey since life st EVENTS The Turn Up Open Mic Tue, Nov 03 Torch Literary Arts - Torch Center More info Learn more An Evening with Shara McCallum Thu, Nov 05 Torch Literary Arts - Torch Center More info Learn more November Saturday Open House Sat, Nov 07 Torch Literary Arts - Torch Center More info Learn more Load More Read News Learn More