Friday Find: Literary Citizenship
Cathy Day’s guest post on Literary Citizenship for Rebecca Rasmussen’s blog is so terrific that I don’t think I need to say much to introduce it. Just go read it. And realize that we are, indeed, all together in this practice of writing.
Enjoy, and have a great weekend.
Wow! An excellent post. I am going to share it with my creative writing students, many of whom
will no doubt be moving into those various roles mentioned that help create a true “literary community.”
I continue to direct writer friends to your site, Erika, as well as my students. I’ve learned so much
from subscribing.
My morning ritual is to set a tray with coffee and toast and retire to my bed to peruse the latest
post from The Practicing Writer. A good way to start my day.
I’ve found that with our Stonecoast MFA program, the key to creating and sustaining community has been an active Alumni Association. Keeping in touch and aware of one another’s activities
helps graduates build networks, share referrals and provide encouragement. At the Maine Women Writers Collection at UNE, we also end sessions with an offer to share contact info with students
if they choose, so that they can have someone to reach out to after they leave session.
It’s always optional, and students can give any level of contact info that works for them.
Thanks for the link Erika- Day’s post gave words to to a gut feeling I’ve often experienced, and- maybe inadvertently- addresses that age old question of “When can I call myself a writer?” (and all the psychological baggage that goes with same.) and the loneliness I sometimes feel because I spend probably 15% – 20% of my time thinking about writing and reading but only about 1% (probably less) of my time sharing and communicating those feelings with others in person.