Search Results

Photo by Cindy Elizabeth Dear Friends, Welcome to Torch Literary Arts! I founded TORCH in 2006 with the goal of creating a space reserved for Black women writers. I wanted a space where we could share our work and uplift each other at all stages of our literary careers. I wanted to build a place where readers and educators could find contemporary writing that celebrates the creativity of Black women across the diaspora. In our 15-year history, we have published and featured over 100 writers on our website and at our Wildfire Reading Series. In that time, we’ve also learned a lot, especially during the pandemic, about how to preserve and grow the organization to better serve our community. I’m excited to announce that Torch Literary Arts will officially relaunch in January of 2022! This relaunch comes with a new website, publishing model, programs, and partnerships. Monthly and Friday features will be published year-round, and all contributors will be paid for their work. This is only possible with support from our partners and individual donors like you. Thank you for being on this journey with us and investing in Black women writers. Together, we can amplify these poems and stories across the world and light the way for generations of readers and writers to come. Onward, Amanda Johnston Founder/Executive Director Torch Literary Arts TORCH LITERARY ARTS is a nonprofit organization established to publish and promote creative writing by Black women. We publish contemporary writing by experienced and emerging writers alike. TORCH has featured work by Colleen J. McElroy, Tayari Jones, Sharon Bridgforth, Crystal Wilkinson, Patricia Smith, Elizabeth Alexander, Natasha Trethewey, and others. Programs include the Wildfire Reading Series, workshops, and retreats. Subscribe to our e-newsletter to receive future updates and announcements. Help TORCH continue to publish and promote Black women writers by donating today.

Torch Literary Arts joins Vuka / Impact Hub in Austin, TX. In the fall of 2021, Torch Literary Arts received a full sponsorship from Vuka / Impact Hub and joined their beautiful shared workspace. Located in Austin, TX, named the "fastest growing major metro in the US," Vuka is ideally situated with North and South locations near outdoor attractions and TORCH's partners and friends - Bookwoman, Black Pearl Books, Malvern Books, and Resistencia. “In Zulu, Vuka means to wake up. It's a verb that symbolizes resurrection and understanding. When we live a life that is more awake, we can be more connected to ourselves and to our communities.” With Vuka's generous sponsorship, Torch Literary Arts will have access to flexible spaces perfect for workshops, readings, events, and celebrations. As part of the Impact Hub, Vuka offers access to a global network of locations broadening the reach of nonprofit organizations to make a difference near and far. Learn more about Vuka online and subscribe to our e-newsletter to receive future updates and announcements from Torch Literary Arts. Torch Literary Arts is a nonprofit organization established to publish and promote creative writing by Black women. We publish contemporary writing by experienced and emerging writers alike. TORCH has featured work by Colleen J. McElroy, Tayari Jones, Sharon Bridgforth, Crystal Wilkinson, Patricia Smith, Natasha Trethewey, Elizabeth Alexander, and others. Programs include the Wildfire Reading Series, writing workshops, and retreats. Help TORCH continue to publish and promote Black women writers by donating today.

Edythe Rodriguez is a Philly-based poet who studied Africology and creative writing at Temple University. She loves neo-soul, battle rap, and long walks through old poetry journals. Edythe has received fellowships from The Watering Hole, Brooklyn Poets, and Palm Beach Poetry Festival. Her poems are published or forthcoming in Obsidian, Sonku, Emergent Literary, and Call and Response Journal. Follow Edythe online at EdytheRodriguez.com and on Instagram. The Spook Who Poemed by Her Altar and Not at the Feet of Academia by Edythe Rodriguez PDF version available as the formatting may not be compatible with all devices. and the poets say: we speak English there is no escaping the West in our poems they say: there is no escaping form though I never asked them to do so, exactly. what I asked was: what did a sonnet ever do for you? what I asked was: do villanelles let you burn down the Vatican? what I asked was: when you write colonial limericks about decolonization does the poem self-destruct? what I said was: their forms measure nooses in iambic pentameter, they lynch lines that snap necks and dance in the soundwork, they split couples and ask for couplets, they have the most tragic enjambments, break ing lines across your back, their hooded chants become your refrain, they put ten lines between you and the auction block and say sell or be sold. and the poets say: there is no escaping the West in our poems there is no outrunning the white man in our heads and I have to ask them: How you do know? Did you even try? Did you even run? and I had to ask them: when they light their torches, when they come to burn Ethiopia to the ground, why do you join them? why do you cry for your people and still set us ablaze? and the poets answer: when in Rome Torch Literary Arts is a nonprofit organization established to publish and promote creative writing by Black women. We publish contemporary writing by experienced and emerging writers alike. TORCH has featured work by Colleen J. McElroy, Tayari Jones, Sharon Bridgforth, Crystal Wilkinson, Patricia Smith, Natasha Trethewey, Elizabeth Alexander, and others. Programs include the Wildfire Reading Series, writing workshops, and retreats. Help TORCH continue to publish and promote Black women writers by donating today.

Called an "honest and authentic voice" by Tressie McMillan Cotton, Shayla Lawson kicks off Torch Literary Arts' relaunch as our inaugural monthly feature. Photo by Nicholas Nichols Shayla Lawson is the author of This Is Major: Notes on Diana Ross, Dark Girls, and Being Dope (Harper Perennial, 2020) and three poetry collections: I Think I'm Ready To See Frank Ocean, A Speed Education in Human Being and PANTONE. She has also recently appeared on OPB with Tiffany Camhi, NPR’s Live Wire Radio broadcast, The Special Report with Areva Martin, Salon Talks with D. Watkins, The True Romance Podcast, at The Center for Fiction with 2 Dope Queens’ Phoebe Robinson, Storybound by LitHub, at The Strand with Ashley C. Ford, Memoir Monday, and the Tanz Im August Art Festival in Berlin, Germany. She is a regular columnist at Bustle magazine and has written for ESPN, Guernica, Vulture, New York, and The Cut. Shayla is a MacDowell and Yaddo Artist Colony Fellow and a 2020 National Book Critics Circle Finalist. Still image of Shayla Lawson performing "Blond" on Instagram. Watch the video. BLOND by Shayla Lawson Why do all the boys we love love white boys Why do all the joys Not love ya back why do all the boys we love love white boys Like I’ve been living in a dream no bigger than a day dream and damn that’s fucked up I’ve been living in a fantasy Of a boy who would notice me All my long blonde ire shining in the sun I watch all the makeup tutorials I go out and body corporeal I watch Reels and Reels of girls sayin: I’M NOT A SNACK I’M NOT A SANDWICH I’M THE WHOLE DAMN MEAL because not a single one of us really believes that we’re enough That’s why that all the joys we love love white boys Because we’ve been trying to pave a wet dream out of milk We’ve been trying to wheedle seduction out our images for profits & I’m a fancy lil slut so if I’m sayin that’s what’s up TikTok, we’re fucked & Sometimes all I wanna do is fuck to frank ocean & Sometimes all I wanna do is say fuck myself & Some days I really wanna fuck up the system But I’ve been living in a dream no bigger than a day dream and that’s what’s fucked up and when i die all they gonna do is toss my skin care products and when i die all they gonna say is that I was someone else O Homer O Bard O Sweet Green Alien God, i don’t wanna go out like that all cards and surfaces and uncertains i don’t wanna be an Instagram death & sometimes all I wanna do is fuck to frank ocean & Sometimes all I wanna do is say fuck myself i say fuck the boys kiss all the pretty joys yes that’s for certain cuz we’re living in a day no bigger than a dream and that’s what’s up. THE INTERVIEW Your latest book, This Is Major: Notes on Diana Ross, Dark Girls, and Being Dope, takes us into your personal life, Black womanhood, and pop culture. What was your process like preparing this collection? I spent a lot of time thinking about what I’d like the world to know about the inner worlds of Black women in America. Since, even in our best attempts, our stories are often told from the lens of being a minority I had to reframe my own conception of what it meant to center us within a narrative. It took a lot of listening to women’s stories and a lot of research into the women I wrote about but have yet to speak to. Was it different from your previous collections of poetry? Since my poetry collections have been projects, they were pretty extensively researched as well. And with I Think I’m Ready To See Frank Ocean, I was definitely interested in seeing what it would feel like to archive our love instead of our disenfranchisement in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement. I see it more as a continuation of my calling than a departure from it. What didn’t make it into This Is Major? Only one essay—about the time I ended up in an anti-American protest rally in Barcelona—but now I’m writing a book of travel essays, so it may have a renaissance. You’ve spoken publicly about your recent diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. How has that impacted your creative work? I’m still figuring out how greatly it’ll impact my work. I’ve been open about my struggles with a rare illness in order to get ahead of the narrative—what people don’t understand, they fear, and what they fear they often misinterpret. Having such a specific illness makes me acutely aware of my environment, deeply sensory, which has shown up in my work even before my diagnosis. You often incorporate music into your poetry. Tell us about that connection for you. Lol. Pretty simple. I like to sing and poetry is musical. So I play it in ways to partner my love of both. If you could have a supergroup of writers and musicians, who would be in the band? Moses Sumney, Minnie Ripperton, June Jordan What projects are you currently working on? It’s On, a collection of decolonized travel essays. I’m also hoping to get back to my romance novel this year… What’s your current vibe - who are you reading, listening to, sitting with at the moment? I’m not reading or listening to much at the moment—since I’m recovering from a few injuries related to my EDS, I’m giving my senses time to heal. What I’m sitting with is a lot of meditation. I guess I could say much of what I’m listening to is the G note on my singing bowl, music to my soul. Who is another Black woman writer people should be reading? Read Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires. Learn more about Shayla on her website, ShaylaLawson.net, and follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Buy her books here. You can also support her fight against Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome by making a donation to her GoFundMe page: Help Shayla Lawson Fight for Her Life. Torch Literary Arts is a nonprofit organization established to publish and promote creative writing by Black women. We publish contemporary writing by experienced and emerging writers alike. TORCH has featured work by Colleen J. McElroy, Tayari Jones, Sharon Bridgforth, Crystal Wilkinson, Patricia Smith, Natasha Trethewey, Elizabeth Alexander, and others. Programs include the Wildfire Reading Series, writing workshops, and retreats. Help TORCH continue to publish and promote Black women writers by donating today.

Create a blog post subtitle that summarizes your post in a few short, punchy sentences and entices your audience to continue reading. Welcome to your blog post. Use this space to connect with your readers and potential customers in a way that’s current and interesting. Think of it as an ongoing conversation where you can share updates about business, trends, news, and more. “Do you have a design in mind for your blog? Whether you prefer a trendy postcard look or you’re going for a more editorial style blog - there’s a stunning layout for everyone.” You’ll be posting loads of engaging content, so be sure to keep your blog organized with Categories that also allow visitors to explore more of what interests them. Create Relevant Content Writing a blog is a great way to position yourself as an authority in your field and captivate your readers’ attention. Do you want to improve your site’s SEO ranking? Consider topics that focus on relevant keywords and relate back to your website or business. You can also add hashtags (#vacation #dream #summer) throughout your posts to reach more people, and help visitors search for relevant content. Blogging gives your site a voice, so let your business’ personality shine through. Choose a great image to feature in your post or add a video for extra engagement. Are you ready to get started? Simply create a new post now.