The art of black writers collectives

Black writers have always known the importance of community, even though many write in isolation. For some, though, writers' collectives provide a way to connect with their community while offering an important link to fellow authors. Although there have been several prominent black writing collectives in New York City--particularly in Harlem--there are a growing number of groups in the South, Midwest and the West Coast that have contributed significantly to the body of African-American literature. Among them, the Detroit Writers Guild; the Chicago Writers Collective: A Community of Writers; the Blackout Arts Collective; the Carolina African American Writers' Collective; the NOMMO Literary Society; The World Stage collective, and the Eugene B. Redmond Writers Club are all actively cultivating black writers.

Much like the black collectives of the past such as The Dark Room poetry collective in Cambridge, Massachusetts and the Umbra collective in New York's Lower East Side and Harlem--which nurtured Rosa Guy, Ishmael Reed and Amiri Baraka--present-day black writers are focusing on literary aesthetics as well as social issues. Clearly, the exchange helps to shape the language of the participants, hone their writing and critical thinking and provides feedback for their literary works-in-progress.

Backyard literary club

The [Detroit] Guild founded as a `backyard literary club' to promote interest in reading African-American literature, exploring creative writing through guided study, and to work with Detroit public schools to insure more African-American literary selections would be included on its official library reading lists," insists Karen Williams, who serves on the board of directors for the Detroit Writers Guild, formerly known as the Detroit Black Writers Guild. Founded by the late Peggy Moore in 1983, the Detroit Writers Guild offers a variety of literary programs such as the annual Midwest Writers and Poets Conference in Detroit, the Robert Haynes Memorial Scholarship, and sponsorship of the Midwest Cave Canem Poetry award. Unlike the other smaller literary collectives, the Detroit Writers Guild has more than 600 members, in Michigan and 23 other states.

In many ways, the Detroit Writers Guild is not like most collectives, but its growth is arguably something of a success story. Among its members are writers Elizabeth Atkins Bowman, Sterling Anthony, Karen Williams, Shayla Hawkins, and Desiree Cooper, columnist for the Detroit Free Press.

"Fundraising for key projects is challenging, though we've received substantial grants over the years," says Williams. "We would, however, like to develop long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with several corporate sponsors to help us implement our many projects, particularly our annual Midwest Writers and Poets Conference." The group, which usually numbers around 30, meets on the second Saturday of each month at the Horace Sheffield Building in Detroit.

Nichole L. Shields and Reggie Gibson are cofounders of the Chicago Writers Collective: A Community of Writers that she says work to make "a difference in the communities of the black diaspora." Founded in May of 1998, the Chicago Writers Collective's "A Community of Writers" was coined by Calvin Glaze, one of the group's 12 charter members. "The mission of CWC as a group is to `speak truth to the people,'" says Shields. "We do that by telling our stories, creating our heroes, claiming our history and telling our truths through our literature."

While the Chicago collective has not been as involved in community projects as some other groups, Shields and collective member Marlon Billups tutor adults in reading, writing and math. Members meet once a month on the second Sunday at each other's homes, although they sometimes gather at a restaurant or coffeehouse for workshops.

"Some of the difficulties, thus far, are trying to remain focused and committed, not only to the other writers in the group, but also to ourselves," says Shields. "There are times when we feel the difficulties of juggling the creative process while dealing with the daily necessities of life."

Community collective

The word "nommo"--which of Bantu origin and means "the power of the spoken word"--describes the impetus behind New Orleans' NOMMO Literary Society collective founded by Kalamu ya Salaam in September of 1995. The writers' collective, was created "to serve as a community based, incubator for black writers in the New Orleans area," he explains.

Black Arts Movement writer and cultural critic Kalamu ya Salaam certainly understands the importance of grassroots work. "We have a three part structure," he says of the NOMMO Literary Society's workshops. "We start off with a study piece," he explains. "We take turns reading aloud our own work and members offer feedback, comments and criticism." The group has a monthly reading on the second Friday, and its workshop meets every Tuesday.

Many black writers collectives have had their struggles. And the same holds true for NOMMO. "The major difficulty is time and money," Kalamu ya Salaam explains. "It takes a lot of energy to lead a writing workshop. I assume the cost of maintaining the office space. And while I do have assistance from Kysha Brown, [cofounder of the collective] the bulk of the financial responsibility is mine. I could easily charge a membership fee, but I have decided I want to maintain an open-door policy."

If you could create the ideal concept for a black writers' collective, it would probably involve developing chapters across the country. Bryonn Bain and his cousin George Martinez did just that. In 1997, they founded the Blackout Arts Collective in New York. In 1999, Bain, Omoizele Okoawo, Iyeoka Okoawo, and Nuri Chandler-Smith founded the BLACKOUT chapter in Boston. And in 2001, Karla and Kevin Ramirez followed with the BLACKOUT Philadelphia chapter. But while the individual chapters are rooted in their communities, they do operate on a larger stage. Last summer, the Blackout Arts Collective chapters in Boston and New York toured the country doing a series of readings.

Toni Asante Lightfoot, a member of BLACKOUTBoston, says the mission of the collective is "to use the arts as a way to teach the masses about their power to create better environments for themselves." The reason the collective was founded, she says, and thus the name "Blackout" has to do with the lack of recognition for many artists of color.

Although BLACKOUTBoston has held readings in Toronto and also recorded a CD, it, too, has its own difficulties. "Getting people to do all the promotional, organizational, and community service work that we'd like to do more regularly to increase the national recruitment drive we are going through," is still a problem he explains. "Having people understand the need for in-depth critique--is something that helps the poet."

Neo-Black Arts Movement

When it comes to black writers collectives, The World Stage has perhaps the most intriguing name. Master drummer Billy Higgins and Kamau Da'ood founded The World Stage in June of 1989. Sensing that literary collectives might help forge a new black arts movement, World Stage decided on a plan that would primarily assist black artists on the West Coast. "Our mission is to provide leadership, to secure, preserve and advance the position of African-American music, literature, and works in the oral tradition to a local, national and international audience," says Imani Tolliver, a member of the group.

"The World Stage is the cultural heart of the black Los Angeles cultural community," says Tolliver. "It is a forum for artists to develop and experiment in a safe environment and an intersection for the community to share in the creative experience."

The group's Anansi Writers' workshop meets every Wednesday. The World Stage is open daily in a small storefront venue, which is located near Leimert Park in the Crenshaw district of the city.

Instead of the public meeting space like The World Stage, the Carolina African American Writers Collective (CAAWC) meets once a month on Saturdays at my home or at the homes of other members. In the past, the group has met at the Mary Lou Williams Cultural Center at Duke University; the Sonja Haynes Stone Black Cultural Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; the Durham County Public Library; and the Cameron Village Regional Public Library in Raleigh.

Workshops and reading groups

Founded in 1993, the Carolina African American Writers Collective--which numbers 40--is a writing workshop and reading group that includes poets, novelists, literary and cultural critics, essayists, journalists, playwrights, editors and others who meet to critique each other's literary works, discuss books by black authors, and comment on today's literary scene. Members teach writing workshops at schools, colleges and universities, prisons, and conferences.

"The workshops are important because they provide a venue for trying out new works and getting feedback from a sharp bunch of writers who can tell me what's working in a new piece," says L. Teresa Church, membership chairperson and archivist for the Carolina African American Writers' Collective and author of Hand-Me-Down Calicos.

Gina M. Streaty, recipient of the Zora Neale Hurston Award, says every meeting for us is like a family reunion. "The CAAWC is a lifeline for me, as well as for all of its members," she adds. "We're a real family and we not only give each other the kind of support emerging and seasoned writers need, but also the love, respect, honesty and wisdom we have honed from our collective experiences. It's a beautiful thing."

CAAWC has a newsletter that is distributed monthly at the Carolina African American Writers' Collective's meetings. "The newsletter offers information. Usually, it lets us know of the accomplishments of fellow members and of any publishing opportunities in the near future," says CAAWC member Wendell W. Ottley III, author of 20th Century Bondage. "It plugs us into the larger literary community and gives us a portal through which to enter that community." The CAAWC newsletter is distributed to writers in Canada, England, France, various African countries and throughout the U. S.

Preeiminent literary collective

In many ways, the Eugene B. Redmond Writers Club is the preeminent black writers collective. Like the renowned Dark Room collective, the Eugene B. Redmond Writers Club often features readings and workshops by well-known black writers, such as Quincy Troupe, Terry McMillan and Ahmos Zu-Bolton, among others.

Eugene B. Redmond, poet laureate of East St. Louis, Illinois is cofounder of the collective, and Darlene Roy is the president of the writers club, and one of its most promising writers. Among some of the clubs other members are Jabari Asim, a senior editor of the books section for the Washington Post, and David Nelson one of the founders of The Last Poets.

Last year the Eugene B. Redmond Writers Club celebrated its fifteenth anniversary with literary activities in and around the St. Louis-East St. Louis areas. The collective co-sponsors the Drum Voices Revue, along with the English Department at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, where Eugene B. Redmond teaches creative writing and multicultural literature.

"We bring literacy and literature to everybody while at the same time we are preparing the literati," says Eugene B. Redmond. Its members have been featured at the National Black Arts Festival and in the anthology Break Word With The World. The EBR Writers Club meets on the first and third Tuesdays, September through May, at the East St. Louis Community College Center.

With writers' collectives providing a sense of community and a nurturing environment for black writers to share their literary work, such collectives continue to be incubators for black authors. Besides these writing groups there are more that are flourishing around the country--the Griot Collective of West Tennessee, the Affrilachian Poets in Kentucky and the African American Writers Guild in Washington, D.C. There also are several online black writers collectives such as the MonkeyBREAD Writers Collective and the Black Writers Alliance. Moreover, there are major organizations, such as the Hurston/Wright Foundation, founded by Marita Golden, and Cave Canem, founded by Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady, which annually sponsors writers retreats. Cave Canem provides poetry workshops and readings throughout the country. Both organizations sponsor major literary awards for emerging writers and poets. Cave Canem publishes some of the beast poetry being written in America in its annual anthology, while the Hurston/Wright Foundation has launched the careers of some outstanding black fiction writers.

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