When Adelaide Befriended A Squirrel
Adelaide used to tell us this story often. She carried this narrative with her in a cool layer beneath her skin. And because her storytelling gaze always shone with stubborn hope, even in the darkest hours, We never grew tired of hearing her tale.
A Writer's 23rd Birthday Declaration
Today is my 23rd birthday. This is what my family calls the Psalm 23, LeBron James, and Michael Jordan year, a year of intentionality and transformation. Admittedly, I'm excited and scared. If 2020 taught me anything, it’s that I'm not always entitled to the plans I make in life and that even the most quotidian things shouldn't be taken for granted. Over these past couple of months, I have been sketching my next novel, drafting a couple of sections at a time. Right now, the novel has the working title Behold Azara’s Blaze. But if I'm being honest with myself, I haven’t been working on this next writing project in earnest. I’m nervous about entering into the creative process while establishing necessary boundaries for myself.
“What inspired you to write 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑊𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 ?”
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope that 2021 has been treating you all well so far. There’s a lot of work to be done, but I have full faith that this will be a year of transition, progress, and healing. With this new beginning, I can’t help but reflect on my writing journey. I often find it hard to believe that The We and the They has been out in the world for five months already. It’s been an honor engaging with you all as we’ve explored different aspects of the story together. Though I am beginning to shift my focus toward other writing projects (more to come on that! 🤓✍🏽), The We and the They will always be, not the beginning, but a beginning of me seeing myself as a writer. It’s not a linear process in the slightest, but that’s what makes it all the more rewarding.
The We and the They and Our World Today
When we think about our collective identities, we like to position ourselves as the We and those who disagree with us as the They. We are more comfortable being the protagonists in our shared narratives. But what if we are more like Tabitha or even the rest of the They than we are willing to confess to ourselves?
“Where do you see yourself in The We and the They?”
On September 26, 2020, I hosted my first author talkback and had the opportunity to engage in a fantastic discussion with some of the most amazing people I know. It’s hard to believe that the book event happened four weeks ago, but I was so spellbound by the experience, I needed that time to do my due diligence in processing it all. When I first started drafting an event reflection, I quickly realized that I had a lot more to say than the quick little blurb I initially planned. But then again, brevity has never been the way that I show my wit.