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| "I BE KING DRIVE" By Janice Temple |
to have a poem selected for THE OVERGROUND RAILROAD POETRY COLLECTION (Vol.1)
by Truth Thomas of Cherry Castle Publishing and NAACP Image Award Winner Poet, Publisher,
Classroom Facilitator in conjunction with Derrick Weston Brown, Renowned Author Busboys and
Poets in Washington, DC. Thank you so much to Truth Thomas and Derrick Weston Brown for
selecting and publishing my work.
Purchase a copy of The Overground Railroad Poetry Collection from Cherry Castle Publishing here.
Thank you to Tressa Jones of the Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black Literature and Creative
Writing who organized the workshop the ABC's From Pages to Publishing.
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| THE OVERGROUND RAILROAD POETRY COLLECTION (VOL.1) |
Gwendolyn Brooks Center is named after Poet Gwendolyn Brooks the first African American Author
to win the Pulitzer Prize. She was also the first African American woman to hold the position of
poetry consultant to the Library of Congress and poet laureate of the state of Illinois. During the time
that Gwendolyn Brooks received the Pulitzer Prize, she lived in Chicago at 9134 South Wentworth
Avenue. She got a call from a Jack Star Chicago Suntimes news reporter in the dark
because the electric company had cut off her power for lack of payment. She was concerned about
the news reporters coming by the next day and not being able to plug in their cameras. Fortunately
her electricity was restored before the reporter's arrival. Gwendolyn Brooks had shared this story
many times. I am a native Chicagoan who was unaware that Gwendolyn Brooks had once
lived a few blocks away from my family home. I have passed by the former Gwendolyn Brooks
home countless times on my way to church or shopping. Listen to the video below starting at the 3:30
mark as Gwendolyn Brooks shares the story in a Library of Congress interview.
I want to acknowledge and thank Marian Hayes for sharing the information about the workshops at
the Chicago State University Gwendolyn Brooks Center For Black Literature And Creative Writing.
Watch the livestream taping of the workshop ABC's From Pages to Publishing below.
+Truth Thomas and +Derrick Weston detail specific do's and don'ts regarding poetry submission to
journals, as well as manuscript submission to publishers.Facilitators will present a comprehensive
list of publishing options and writer resources.
Chapter 1 Approaches To Writing
Chapter 2 Getting Published Part 1
A,B,C's From Pages To Publishing Writer Submission Resources
(This Handout was distributed by Classroom Facilitator Truth Thomas)
1. The Creative Writers Opportunities List (CRWROPPS-B) (Free)
http://groups.yahoo.com/CRWROPPS-B/
This is a Yahoo group that keeps writers up to date on the latest publishing and contest opportunities.
The Yahoo Group (CRWROPPS-B)is edited and updated daily by poet Alison Joseph. It is a very
valuable writer's resource. You don't have to do a thing but visit the site. There is no signing in.
Donations are not required. CRWROPPS-B posts information about : first-book contests, poetry
contests, fiction contests, print and online magazines seeking poetry for theme issues, residencies,
creative writing-jobs and grants. Most of the time, direct links to sources are provided in order to
obtain complete information. You can subscribe to the postings or simply bookmark the page.
2. Tools For Writers at Poets and Writers Magazine (Free)
http://www.pw.org/literary_magazines
Through the Poets & Writers Database, you can connect your poems, stories, essays, and reviews to
the right audiences by researching over eight hundred literary magazines. Here, you'll find editorial
policies, submission guidelines, contact information---everything needed to direct specific
submissions to publications whose themes are in keeping with those submissions. Just click the
"Tools for Writers" tab to get the writer resources search engine page.
3. Duotrope (formerly Duotrope's Digest) (Pay)
http://duotrope.com
Duotroupe is an established writer's resource for experienced writers, and for those who are just
getting started. It is a database dedicated to listing submission markets (over 4,995) of them). What
is very useful is its ease of use. Whether someone writes poetry or prose, it covers almost the entire s
spectrum in terms of journal listings. Filter to exactly what journals fall in line with your submission
interests, and get a comprehensive Listing of markets. It has the best search features of any writers'
resource submission tool that is currently available. That said, there is a $50.00 subscription for the
service. In spite of that, I would still recommend exploring Duotrope. If you want to save a lot of
time and find the best journals quickly. Duotrope is certainly worth a look.
4. Top 50 Literary Magazines (Free)
http://www.everywritersresource.com/topliterarymagazines.html
The "Top 50 Literary Magazines" site offers a countdown of journals that some in the literary
cannon consider to be the top such magazines that exist. While it is a subjective grouping, it is,
nevertheless, a good journal listing to browse.
Here is the link to Part 2 of this workshop http://youtu.be/bE5wpAzxzNI
Timeline help you find specific parts of the workshop.
29.3 Chapter 2 Getting Published Pt 2.
1.40.8 Writer Submission Resources
7.59 Derrick Weston Brown Renowned Author Busboys & Poets Restaurant Washington, DC
14:36 What is Chapbook?
16:02 Chapter 3 Writing
23:33 I BE TREE Written by Truth Thomas Read by Derrick Weston Brown
48:50 The Night On The Mic Busboys & Poets Open Mic Invocation By Derrick Weston Brown Poet
53:10 Call On Somebody Writing Exercise
1:30 Writing Exercises and Readings
Calling Poem
Love Poem
A Place That Isn't Mine Anymore
A Place You Can Return To
1:50.00 An Interview with Gwendolyn Brooks 28:24
2:06:33 Chapter 4 Readings by Poets Truth Thomas and Derrick Weston Brown
