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On
July 29, 1999, Velile Notshulwana (aka Veza), Deouan
Wilson, and I met at Barnes & Noble on 23rd Street in
Manhattan on a late Saturday afternoon. All men of color,
we came together as writers to discuss ways in which
we could support each other's endeavors, create outlets
to publish our works, and network with fellow writers
of color. Ever since I edited a student newsletter for
a group of young at-risk writers, I played around with
creating a writer's group called Writing On Reality
and Dreams or WORD. WORD was also the name of the student
publication I created. For years nothing came of my
idea or of my desire to work with other writers to create
a house for publication. On July 29, Velile and Deouan
nurtured the seed I planted long ago with ideas of resurrecting
WORD. Later on, Demetria Harvin, Robin Allen-Payne,
and Keisha L. Woodford helped to till the soil, giving
the group a foundation. Demetria took on some editing
responsibilities for the writers, Robin became an administrative
assistant providing us with direction and organization,
and Keisha spearheaded ideas for productions and various
ways our writing could be used for creating economics
avenues and working with grassroots organizations.
In March 2000, we had a reading, at the South African
Consulate General in Manhattan, featuring South African
Novelist, Sindiwe Magona. We have published a flap book
of poetry, entitled WORD volume I, thanks to
Veza, who spearheaded the self- publishing component
of WORD. WORD volume I, features all the writers plus
some affiliate members, such as Rolando Morales and
Gladis Alvarez. While trying to establish the group
as a non-profit organization, we worked with Roy Steele,
our extraordinary Web designer, to create a website
for WORD that will allow us to network with other writers,
deliver our on-line newsletter, and keep in touch with
other writers via a message board. To say the least,
it has been an adventurous and productive year.
In
the coming year I expect to have our website continually
updated. I am also looking forward to the publication
of our next flap book, WORD volume II / Writings
on Lust, Love, and Loss and to hosting a series
of readings of member's work. As director of WORD, I
feel our three-fold mission is to help cultivate the
lives of writers of color and support their endeavors,
to carry on the legacies of Wallace Thurman, Langston
Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Dorothy West, and other
writers of the Harlem Renaissance and beyond and to
promote literacy and the power of words and concepts.
Next year as we celebrate our second anniversary, I
pray that we live up to our mission and that we don't
disappoint our ancestors or our readers.
Keep the pen to the paper.
Udoka,
TS Murphy
July 2000
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