I am so grateful to have a poem included in the collection “From the Holler to the Sea: Hurricane Helene Survivors Speak Out”—a collaboration of the Appalachian poetry space Dandelion Scribes and local organizing collective Rednecks Rising. Through reading the collection, I am really appreciating the opportunity to reflect on experiences with and changed lives from Hurricane Helene. The framing around “solidarity amidst ongoing global polycrisis” serves as another ... Read more ...
social justice
Love in Action: Sharing Protests and Prayers for These Times
This Valentine’s Day, let’s come together and share some of the protests and prayers we are writing for these times. We’re in times when what we love—people, the earth, and justice itself—are attacked with great force. The first weeks of the new administration have brought intense cruelty and terrorizing assertions of dominance. We respond in many ways, including with efforts to block harm, to build liberatory futures, and to be present with and for each ... Read more ...
A Well of Capacity Comes from Community
Today I want to share as many hugs as possible and remember the well of capacity that comes from community. I feel such deep gratitude for people reaching out and connecting. I feel such deep longing to be in community ~ both locally (back in Asheville + Appalachia) and with beloved community (across space + time). I feel such deep grief over what seems to be the choice of an especially brutal route toward empire collapse. In the midst of these many feelings, I am ... Read more ...
Deep Gratitude Following Helene and Support for These Times
I write with deep gratitude for the outpouring of support that has buoyed me these past few weeks since Helene hit Southern Appalachia, resulting in catastrophic loss and continuing recovery for my new hometown of Asheville, North Carolina. I’ve felt such support, as many of you have reached out and even helped make connections toward a short-term housing situation. I am especially grateful for my Agnes Scott College network: for the next few weeks, I'll be in a familiar ... Read more ...
Update from (Outside) Asheville: Next Steps after Hurricane Helene
I write with such gratitude for an outpouring of support these past few days, since Hurricane Helene hit Southern Appalachia, leaving catastrophic damage across Western North Carolina (WNC). Here’s an update on where I am and what lies ahead for the coming months. My spouse Jonathan and I are safe and currently in Charlotte, North Carolina, but it's been a harrowing few days ~ both in the midst of and aftermath of Hurricane Helene. At this point, what’s clear is that ... Read more ...
Writing Support for Your Campus? The Case of the UNT CLASS WRite Program
This fall, I am beginning the second year of a faculty writing and mentoring program with the University of North Texas (UNT)’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS). The program was proposed by Priscilla Ybarra, Ph.D. (Associate Professor, Department of English) and is sponsored by Steve Cobb, Ph.D. (Associate Dean, CLASS). I share a description of the program here to give a sense of what’s possible for tailored writing support: support customized to meet ... Read more ...
Q&A with Phoenix Robertson: Communications Assistant with Heart-Head-Hands
I am so pleased to introduce Phoenix Robertson, who has been working with me and the organization (Heart-Head-Hands: Everyday Living for Justice) since January 2024. Phoenix began as an intern and will be continuing to work as a communications assistant, as she enters college this fall. Since February, Phoenix has taken on various responsibilities, which she describes below. There have been steep learning curves, as working in WordPress can involve many steps ... Read more ...
Inspiration for Writers to Stretch W-I-D-E-R
The cover of my current journal features a bright, colorful tree surrounded by vibrant earth and sky. It gets me thinking about how wide our writing can reach, much like the sparks that seem to be flying off the tree and reaching underground, too. It reminds me that we need deep root systems and many shades of experience (not a singular existence). It inspires me to stretch w-i-d-e-r ... literally to scrawl in large letters and to run off the page. I am grateful for ... Read more ...
Mentoring Writers Well? 3 Assumptions about Mentoring Writing
What is involved in mentoring writers well? How can mentors support writers and writers’ various projects and aspirations? What are starting points for learning to mentor writing? So many of us (especially in higher education, literacy education, community education, and adjacent fields) are involved in mentoring and coaching writers. But, typically, we don’t have much training when it comes to mentoring. And much less for mentoring writing! Back in February, I ... Read more ...
How Mentors Can Support Writers and Counter Epistemic Injustice
You’re invited to an interactive workshop I’ll be facilitating on Monday, February 12th at 12:00-1:30pm ET titled “How Mentors Can Support Writers and Counter Epistemic Injustice.” The workshop is free and open to the public. This workshop is sponsored by the Ball State University Graduate School and the Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and is part of the Building Mentoring Capacities Workshop Series. Thanks especially to Dr. Robin Phelps-Ward, ... Read more ...
