(The post originally appeared in Kerry Adrienne’s blog as Poetry Can Work Against Social Injustice, but I changed the title here to reflect a positive stance)

Poetry Can Work For Social Justice

I’m delighted to announce the release of my new book, The Book of Now, a volume of nonfiction poetry on subjects ripped from today’s headlines. This book covers social issues and contends that we must be more aware and responsible for these issues in order to find a way to correct or right these problems.

Now before you roll your eyes and groan, “oh not poetry,” wait! This poetry can be a powerful force for good!

Forbes Magazine has long highlighted poetry with responsibility. Take for example an article Jul 9, 2010 about Poetry and Pollution. The newly announced poet laureate (then) W.S. Merwin wrote of ecological disasters.

But Merwin is by far not the first to use his pen and write with a “social responsibility.”

In literature, where we seek social justice, first you have to understand what is meant by social responsibility. The best definition I ever read was, “the awareness of social injustice, from the local to the global, necessitates specific actions to combat those injustices. In other words, social responsibility and social activism are inextricably intertwined; once aware of the injustice, one is morally obliged to act.” (Naomi Benaron, author, 2012).

For fiction writers, there is a long history of literature intertwined with a need to highlight social responsibility and therefore find social justice. From Quixote, Dickens and Jane Austin through more current folks like Parsipur, Merwin, and Lucia Mann. There is a compelling need for writers to seek answers in the darkness and to speak out with authority whenever possible to shine light, right wrongs, and seek betterment.

But what of the poet? What makes the poet separate from the fiction writer? And are they more or less powerful with the pen?

I think it begins with a belief that social responsibility begins with children. What better way to send a message than a poem that one can remember, recite, and then remember forever? Besides understanding that poetry has always been a voice in the dark, finding those lights shows us how much social injustice has been highlighted in poetry.

Once Chinese immigrants were incarcerated at Angel Island, California during the early 1900s. They wrote their poetry on the walls, despite being told not to. Their poetry filled the halls of their prison and became known as the “talking walls.” From these walls, we learned of their belief in a right to freedom. And that they believed no one has the right to restrict their right to protest injustice. Their poetry was a powerful tool. Here is a short quote from one of the Chinese poems:

“For days I have been without freedom on Island.
In reduced circumstances now, I mingle with the prisoners.
Grievances fill my belly; I rely on poetry to express them.”

The beautiful language highlighted the impoverished conditions and sparked a need for a more fair and just society.

Another desirable aspect of poetry is its ability to present ideals and stress a position, to step off neutrality without the ugliness. There is a responsibility in our country to propose freedom and democracy. Political dictators and oppressionists have attacked these sorts of poets because they find social injustice poetry to be dangerously seditious. Which is exactly why I – and so many others — find it powerful.

Those young Chinese poets also did not take their use of poetry lightly. There was nothing common or funny about the literary tool. In their culture, poetry is the preferred method for highlighting social injustice. This is what makes their “talking walls” so important, that they leaned on their culture as they sought to expose social injustice. It also comforted them, giving something familiar.

Most of all, I think the power of poetry exposing social injustice comes in humanizing issues and reaching people on an emotional level. Poetry allows us to gently empathize, find common ground and to make what is scary or heinous more touchable. Again, it starts with children, learning to deal with social isolation, bullying, differences, and finding understanding in diversity. Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss did it for children and made it easy to remember. Maya Angelou made it easy for adults to understand and want to do better.

This was exactly my thought when I wrote The Book of Now. Not that it could be for children, because truthfully it is too harsh for little kids. But that I can cover terrorism, bullying, abuse, political bigotry and so many other harsh and divisive issues while pointing out the need for and the power of diversity, understanding and knowledge.

Today’s important poets have shown me the way. From Swiss poet Daniele Pantano, Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes, to U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera, poetry ignites the issues and sparks a need for change. And these changes may simply be in how we view an issue, more enlightened, more open-minded, more resolved.

I certainly don’t expect to remake the world or create a tsunami of change. However, with my new book of poetry, I want others to see subtleties, discover new emotions, and open dialogues of change. There are controversial issues in The Book of Now. We have to be fearless and open-minded if we are going to make this world a better place. Poetry is my way of highlighting social injustices and directing where our social responsibility might be. I think poets make the unpalatable more digestible, because they do it with compassion inside their honesty.

I content that poets believe in possibilities. Like me, The Book of Now does, too. I hope the message resonates with some of you and that you will take up the banner against the social injustices highlighted in The Book of Now. Join an illustrious population of people striving for a better world, and using poetry to do it!

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The Book of Now is available from my CreateSpace page, or you can order from the links on the book page or directly from online retailers.

OR if you want a signed copy, just fill out the form on the Contact Me page.

Thanks for stopping by!
I remain, yours Between the Lines,
Sherry 

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****The following items will always appear to keep you posted on activities.*****

WIP (Works in Progress):

Writer’s Workbook – Learning to Write Everyday – Beginners Volume  Release AUG 2016

– first novel in the Evening Bower series, about vampires and other supernatural creatures
– fictional memoir – November 2016!
– four-part fairy story (part one complete)

On the Desk: (next reading): TBD

Off the Desk (book just finished): A Toxic Trousseau (#8 in series) by Juliet Blackwell

Coming Soon:  Interview with new folks and more about upcoming projects. Plus meet my assistant (yes, you want details!)

 The Truth is….Writers Lie About Writing

I’m going to do for you what few writers actually do — I’m going to tell you the truth about why writers lie and what are the lies they – we – tell.

That in itself is a miracle statement because as Stephen King once said, “Fiction is a lie. The good fiction is the truth inside the lie.” So buckle up.

FICTION:  Writing is an adventure.

     Truth:  Writing is not an adventure. Writing is hard work. Writing is misery. Writing is painful. Writing is like pulling your socks up through your stomach. Learning to write is also not an adventure. It is time consuming and tedious and never ending. The act of writing is hard work. And you have to really want to do it – no, you have to feel compelled to do it — no, you must be obsessed to do it – in order for you to get through all the trials and tribulations that is the act of writing.

FICTION:  Writing is its own reward

     Truth:  No, chocolate is its own reward. Some writers won’t admit it but they write for money. Other writers won’t admit it but they write because they don’t know any other way. Me? I write because if I don’t all the stuff in my head will make me crazier than I already am. The reward I get from writing comes if I hear just one person say, “Oh I loved it.” That is the truth. Oh sure I write for myself but I’m never going to say I like it. That reward must come from without. Meanwhile, I’m eating chocolate.

FICTION:  Write a little every day and you’ll finish that book in no time.

     Truth:  Bologna! Yes, if you write a little every day you might finish a book. It will be “no time” for sure, meaning that it will take you an incalculable amount of time to finish. You won’t finish in any reasonable time. First because you won’t feel like writing every day and second, because if you only write a little very day, your book will read like a piece of hopscotch. Yes, write every day but when it comes to writing a book, write as much as you can every day, and let it be a great deal. Write until you can’t write anymore that day. Write until your brain is screaming. Write write write!

However, if in doubt that a book is possible, Stephen King will tell you, “Write a page a day. Only 300 words, and in a year you have written a novel.” (That’s a 109,500 words before editing).

FICTION:  The more you write, the better writer you’ll become.

     Truth: This is a tough one. The more you write, the more you will produce. However, getting better at your craft depends on more than just the prolific writing habit. It depends on your studying how to write. It depends on your reading all the books you can get your hands on – not just about your favorite wizard or dystopian planet, but also about dialogue and punctuation and correct word usuage and how to build plot and write deep characters (just to name a simple few things). THEN the more you write, the better your chances are that you will become a better writer than you were.

FICTION:  If you are having a hard time, just stop and walk away for a while. You’ll be better for it.

     Truth:  NO. DON’T DO IT. Bad advice. The only stopping should come when you are between projects. Never stop in the middle of one. Coming back to it is hard. Remembering what you intended is nearly impossible. Recapturing that feeling you began with is not going to happen. If you let go of the magic while you are in it, you will lose the initial momentum of a good thing. It won’t feel better when you come back. In fact, you will be more tempted to quit.

Stephen King, “Stopping a piece of work just because it’s hard either emotionally or imaginatively is a bad idea. Sometimes you have to go on when you don’t feel like it & sometimes you are doing good work when it feels like all you’re managing to do is shovel shit from a sitting position.”

FICTION:  Once you finish that first book, the second will be easier.

     Truth:  I equate this to something I heard in a movie once, “The first murder is the hardest. After that, they get easier.” Only a sociopath might think this!  I can tell you for a fact that once you finish the fist book, you should dance and celebrate. Finishing is awesome. You are ready to keep going, right?
     Time for the second book? I’m here to tell you that it is JUST AS HARD AS THE FIRST OR THE LAST.  There is no “easy” book. There is no “fast” book. Every book wrenches something out of you and the pulling and and taking is more like cutting yourself open and bleeding for a while. Nothing easy about it. (unless you’re a sociopath!). 

Writing any book is hard. Each book is just as hard in its own way. Every book is a unique challenge. Does it get easier to plan or plot or do you feel smarter about your craft? Probably. Possibly. I hope so. But the work itself is never easier. Don’t let anyone fool you.

FICTION:  You are too old to start now. There’s no point.

     Truth: Bologna. Here’s Stephen King again, “You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.”  Writing has no age. It simply is. It calls and you answer. Writring is a need, a calling, a desire, an obsession. If you want to write, then write. If you feel strongly about it, nothing on this world will stop you. Will you be published? Will you be a best-seller? Those things are issues for another day. For today, just write. Write because you believe there is nothing else you can do.

FICTION: Writers need inspiration in order to write.

     Truth: Bologna. Writers WANT inspiration. Writers crave it and sometimes do need it. But if writers waited to be inspired to write a book or a story or a poem, very little would get done. Writers who want to succeed and/or publish have a motto. Butt in chair. All that means is if you want to get the job done, you have to simply do the work. (see first truth). Stephen King will tell you, “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”

Work. Writing is work. Oh once in a while you hit a magical nirvana when the writing flows and you feel as if you won’t ever stop the train of prolific thought. And then you do. Yes, there will be moments when you think you are in the groove and it will always be this marvelous feeling of achievement.
      And then reality sets in. Writing is unglamorous. Writing is sometimes tedious. Writing is sometimes writing the same page over a dozen times. Writing is sometimes frustrating. Sometimes impossible.

And sometimes writing is  the most incredible, wonderful, surreal work you will ever accomplish. But if you are waiting to be inspired, you are just looking for a way to talk yourself out of doing the work.

THE BOTTOM LINE:  Writers lie. We finish our books mostly in solitary confinement. We work hard. We scream at the page, we edit until we hate our work. We write because we must. We breath ink and vellum and when we are holding the final product, we lie.

We tell you and others what a wonderful journey it was to get the book done. And why do we do this?  Well, I’ve never had a human child but my mom told me that the horrible pain fades and only the joy of the child remains.  So when the book is finished, it is our baby, our joy.  Given this truth, we tend to diminish the work with an honest lie.

Writers lie but we don’t really mean to (Is that truth or a lie?). We writers only want one thing — for you to find your moment, the joy of birthing your own book, project, play, whatever. We are happy and proud in the end and we want that same joy for you, the would-be writer, and the reader.

Think of this the next time someone asks you, “I want to write, but…..”

Let me leave you with more words of Stephen King, “A person is never too old for stories. Man and boy, girl and woman, we live for them.”

and remember my opening quote — “Fiction is the truth inside the lie.”

Given that truth, go and tell some lies. But now you know the truth why you are doing it.

Thanks for stopping by!
Yours Between the Lines,
Sherry

(the philosophy above is my opinion based on my experience and in discussion with other writers)

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****The following items will always appear to keep you posted on activities.*****

WIP (Works in Progress): – NEW BOOK OF POETRY! – expected release July 2016
– first novel in the Evening Bower series, about vampires and other supernatural creatures
– fictional memoir – November 2016!
– four-part fairy story (part one complete)

On the Desk: (next reading): A Potion to Die For – Heather Blake

Off the Desk (book just finished): Rock-a-bye Bones – Carolyn Haines

Coming Soon:  Are you writing every day? Why you should and how I can help!
                          Guest Interview coming in June!

I’m happy to say that 2016 is turning out to be a potentially busy year for the author-me. I’ve several new projects on the burner and the writing is flowing well. However, with so many writing projects pulling me in different directions, I find myself at sixes and nines. As a result, I needed some help staying organized and focused, and finding help with the minutia that was distracting me. That’s a hard pill for an Aries like me, normally uber organized, self-reliant and very stubborn. But not too stubborn to realize that having talented help is a strength and that is what brings me to my announcement.

I’m excited to introduce you to my new Personal Assistant – Terri A. Wilson. As my assistant, Terri is going to help me manage my extracurricular events, assist with my calendar, organize and supervise a new street team, help with social media and generally be my “Writer Gal Friday,” my left hand (I write with my right), and my second brain. She brings a wealth of diverse experience with her.

Terri has a BA in English, a Master’s in Education and a Masters in Library Science. She has twelve years teaching experience at the middle, high school and college levels. Currently, she is home schooling her two daughters, ages ten and seven. Terri loves to read and write, and you will enjoy reading her blog for her book reports and her stories.

Born in Texas, she’s been married to her beloved Jeff for 22 years. They live in Charlotte, NC, and this means we’ll be able to meet in person, an added blessing. Terri reads what I write (thankfully!). But she is also an avid reader of urban fantasy, paranormal, a little gothic, and historical. She loves quilting, painting and reading – the woman can have four books going at one time (I cannot do that)! Her sense of humor is broad and fun, and she exudes calm, a trait I find extremely valuable.

Terri and I also share common causes in our advocacy against Domestic Violence, and Childhood Abuse and Bullying. Together we hope to make a difference going forward together.

I think you’re going to like Terri as much as I do. You’ll be hearing more from her as she organizes my new street team, book launches, blog tours, and other events.

When the going gets tough, the tough get help. I’m very glad I did. Please join me in welcoming Terri to Between the Lines and all the magic that entails.

If you are interested in reaching Terri in her work as my PA, you can write her at wilson.terria@gmail.com

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And as always, you know you can write me anytime. Feel free to use a comment form, or leave me a comment here. I welcome all your thoughts.

I remain, as always,
Yours Between the Lines,
Sherry

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****The following items will always appear to keep you posted on activities.*****

WIP (Works in Progress): – NEW BOOK OF POETRY! – expected release July 2016
– first novel in the Evening Bower series, about vampires and other supernatural creatures
– fictional memoir
– four-part fairy story (part one complete)

On the Desk: (next reading): Gone with the Witch (#5) Heather Blake

Off the Desk (book just finished): In Shining Armor  (#4) Elliott James

Coming Soon:  Let’s Talk About Your Writing! and look for my Street Team!