Search Results

< Back Brittany Heckard Communications Associate Brittany Heckard is a freelance creative writer at the intersection of policy and strategic communications based in Austin, TX. Her previous work includes lobbying for nonprofits and ESG efforts, helping local businesses with grants, and brand consulting. She has lobbied for companies and organizations like Ancestry, Texas Cultural Trust, Texas Access to Justice Foundation, Vera Institute of Justice, and others. Previously, she led public affairs campaigns for AT&T's legislative and corporate social responsibility units in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. An advocate for social justice, she has volunteered on the board for MOVE Texas Civic Fund and worked for Austin Justice Coalition. Brittany's favorite excerpt from Audre Lorde's Poetry Is Not a Luxury reads, "The white fathers told us, I think therefore I am; and the black mothers in each of us-the poet-whispers in our dreams, I feel therefore I can be free." In her spare time, Brittany enjoys reading, playing with her dog, going to concerts, and creative writing.

< Back Rachel E. Winston Board Secretary Rachel E. Winston is an archivist and curator based out of Austin, TX. She is the founding Black Diaspora Archivist at The University of Texas at Austin, where she leads the effort to build a library special collection documenting the Black experience across the Americas and Caribbean.

< Back Parneshia Jones Advisory Board Member Parneshia Jones is an award-winning poet and publisher. Jones serves as Director for Northwestern University Press and acquires poetry for the TriQuarterly Books and Seminary Co-op Offsets imprints. Her acquisitions have garnered some of the highest literary honors, including the National Book Award, Kingsley Tufts, Pulitzer Prize finalists, Hurston Wright Legacy Awards, NAACP Image Awards, L.A. Times Book Award, and others. Jones is the author of Vessel: Poems (Milkweed Editions), winner of the Midwest Book Award and featured as one of “12 Books to Savor” by O, The Oprah Magazine. She has been honored with the Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Award, the Margaret Walker Short Story Award, and the Aquarius Press Legacy Award. Named one of the “25 Writers to Watch” by the Guild Complex and one of “Lit 50: Who Really Books in Chicago” by Newcity Magazine, her work has appeared in anthologies including, She Walks in Beauty: A Woman’s Journey Through Poems and The Ringing Ear: Black Poets Lean South . Jones has been featured on PBS Newshour, the Academy of American Poets, espnW, and an international poetry exchange in Seoul, South Korea and sponsored by DreamYard. She previously served as Board President for the Cave Canem Foundation and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Poetry Foundation and advisory board for Shorefront Legacy Center. She resides in her native home, Evanston, IL.

< Back Dana Weekes Board Treasurer Dana Tenille Weekes is the Founder and Principal of Thrive Architects, a public policy and professional development firm in Washington, DC. Before launching Thrive Architects, Dana worked for two AM Law 100 firms as a nationally recognized lawyer and policy strategist for nearly 15 years. Since she was a child, Dana has been fascinated by voice—when it is used, when it is silent, and when it is silenced. Her fascination (and now understanding of the “whys”) have led her to co-create platforms with directly impacted communities so that they can center their voices and wield the necessary influence for overdue conversations and change, whether in the worlds of policy, politics, or poetry. In 2021, Dana began writing poetry, which helped guide her to a year of rest in 2022. Her works have been published in Torch Magazine , Obsidian , Rhino Poetry , Apogee , The Elevation Review , and elsewhere

< Back Sierra Lewis Administrative Associate Sierra Lewis is an administrator, creative entrepreneur, and cultural curator whose work centers on supporting Black, women, and value-driven communities. Born in Baltimore and based in Austin, she brings experience across nonprofit, arts, education, social service, and entrepreneurship, with a deep commitment to building systems that sustain creative work and community. She is the founder and former brick-and-mortar owner of New Origin Shop, a curated retail platform uplifting independent makers, many of them Black women. Sierra brings a background in marketing, digital storytelling, and e-commerce, with experience building community and operations across both physical and digital spaces. She is a BeyGOOD Foundation grant recipient and a Goldman Sachs Black in Business scholar, and her work has been featured on Texas Today NBC 5. Sierra is honored to support Torch Literary Arts in amplifying the voices of Black women writers and strengthening the infrastructure that sustains their work.

< Back Erin Waelder Board Member Erin Waelder is a nonprofit arts professional in Austin, TX. As a member of the Development and Marketing teams at the Paramount & State Theatres, she helps manage annual fund campaigns, donor communications, and special content across the organization’s platforms. Erin has over a decade of experience in fundraising and patron services through her previous positions at Ballet Austin, the Paramount & State Theatres, and the Bullock Texas State History Museum. She is the immediate past Chair of the Community Advisor Board at Austin PBS and volunteers with Preservation Austin. Erin graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from St. Edward’s University. She is dedicated to creating meaningful connections to the community through storytelling and the arts.

< Back Raina Fields Advisory Board Member Raina Fields is a communications strategist, educator, and writer with experience in the private sector, higher education institutions, and nonprofit organizations. She is accredited in public relations (APR) and has degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Tech, and Loyola University Maryland. Raina is passionate about community outreach and the arts. She is a Cave Canem fellow and has published poetry in Blackbird , Callaloo , The Collagist, and Fjords Review , among others. She lives in Richmond, VA.

< Back Hallie S. Hobson Advisory Board Member Hallie S. Hobson contributes to the vitality and health of philanthropic and nonprofit institutions by developing and implementing innovative planning, fundraising, and patron engagement strategies including: philanthropic strategy development and implementation; capital campaign and strategic planning; individual giving program design; major gift pipeline development; department buildout and optimization-staffing and systems; chief development officer coaching; board development. Clients include Art Basel, Cave Canem Foundation, Destination Crenshaw, The Ford Foundation, The Friends of the High Line, Junebug Productions, The Laundromat Project, the New York Community Trust, and NPower. Prior to launching her consultancy, Hallie served as the Director of Institutional Advancement for the Studio Museum in Harlem and led that organization’s Capital Campaign. Prior to that she was at The Metropolitan Museum of Art where she served as Deputy Chief Development Officer for Individual Giving and the Senior Development Officer at The Museum of Modern Art. She has also held roles at several other cultural institutions including the New York Foundation for the Arts and The House Foundation for the Arts/Meredith Monk and has lectured about her profession at New York University, the Yale World Fellows Program, and Sotheby's Institute of Art. In addition, Hallie is an accomplished poet and playwright. She holds an M.F.A. in Playwriting from UCLA and a B.A. in African-American and Theater Studies from Yale University.

< Back Shannon Johnson Board Member Shannon Johnson has over 20 years of technology experience in Fortune 100 companies, start-ups, and management consulting. She has led technology teams at Merck, Ernst & Young, Dell, and BigCommerce. In addition, Shannon was recognized as Central Texas Black Business Journal’s Most Influential Technologist for 2021 and 2022. Shannon is passionate about empowering women and mentoring the next generation of young leaders. She currently serves on the Advisory Board for VentureLab and previously served on Girlstart’s Central Texas Council and UT Austin’s WIELD board. Shannon holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems and a Master of Arts in the Human Dimension of Organizations – both from The University of Texas at Austin. She also holds certifications in several areas of expertise including Change Management, Agile, and Project Management. Outside of work, Shannon enjoys supporting local business creatives, writing down thoughts for her next book or screenplay, and traveling with her two daughters.

< Back Jen Margulies Advisory Board Member Jen Margulies brings twenty-five years of experience with nonprofit organizations working for social justice, including ten years as an independent grant writer and consultant. She worked with Six Square to win a major National Endowment for the Arts “Our Town” grant to support cultural placemaking in historic Black East Austin. She is also an editor of several books of poetry through Evelyn Street Press, and of Voices for Racial Justice, a compilation co-edited with Sharon Bridgforth and published in collaboration with the Greater Austin YWCA. Jen was a member of Omi Osun Joni L. Jones’s The Austin Project and has been honored to learn from Black women writers and artists on the page, on the stage, on the screen, and in the world. She is committed to art as a force for liberation.

< Back Sheree L. Ross Advisory Board Member Sheree L. Ross is an award-winning writer and Wealth Literacy Activist. She is founder of the popular social media platform Women Filmmakers of Color @womenfilmofcolr with over 18,000 followers on Twitter. Sheree is also the author of Affirming Life - A Daily Meditation and Affirming Business: For Career and Entrepreneurial Excellence. She was a co-writer for the Audible narrative drama, Loops, starring Vivica A. Fox, produced by Migrante Media, and her romantic comedy screenplay, Accidental Hearts, is in development with AdeRisa Productions. Sheree’s passion is around financial and wealth literacy, especially as it pertains to artists of color. She uses her metaphysical practice, business degree, and entrepreneurial background to push thought beyond perceived limitations towards more personal empowerment and success for Black women and queer people of color.

< Back Torch Literary Arts to Open Registration for “A Gathering of Flames: Celebrating 20 Years of Torch Literary Arts” on March 16th Mar 12, 2026 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. AUSTIN, Tex., March 13, 2025 – Torch Literary Arts will open registration for the 20th Anniversary “Gathering of Flames” Conference on March 16th, celebrating two decades of providing community, opportunities, and a platform for Black women writers. The conference will convene on September 25-27, 2026, at the Austin Central Public Library and the George Washington Carver Museum in Austin, Texas. “This celebration is a testament to 20 years of community building and letting Black women writers know that a space already exists for them, no matter where they are in their writing journey,” said executive director Amanda Johnston. “This inaugural event is the foundation for the decades to come.” This is the first time there will be an official gathering for the over 300 Torch Features and Fellows, donors, and supporters of Black women writers. On Friday, the conference will feature notable authors like National Book Award winner Patricia Smith; Yale Windham Campbell Prize winner Sharon Bridgforth; Hurston/Wright Foundation Legacy Award winner Rachel Eliza Griffiths; and NAACP Image Award winner, Crystal Wilkinson. On Saturday, attendees will connect during a day of readings, panels, and writing sessions. On Sunday, the conference will close with a community brunch and open mic. Torch was established in 2006 by the 61st Texas Poet Laureate, Amanda Johnston, who wanted to create a space for Black women writers to feel seen and supported. In 20 years, the organization has transformed into an internationally recognized organization with an unchanged mission to amplify Black women writers. You can find out more about the 20th Anniversary “Gathering of Flames” by visiting torchliteraryarts.org/agatheringofflames2026 , and you can find out more about Torch by visiting torchliteraryarts.org/ . ### 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, workshops, an annual retreat, and special events. Help Torch continue to publish and promote Black women writers by donating today. Media Contact Information: Brittany Heckard Communications Associate bheckard@torchliteraryarts.org (512) 641-9251 Previous Next