糖心原创

By David Gil de Rubio | dgilderubio@mec.cuny.edu

When the wrapped up its week-long stint at SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica, NY last month, and Charlotte Hunter were highly satisfied with the creative space they provided for the 18 writing fellows who attended. Greene (founder and executive director of the saw this most recent event as a continuation of her initial reason she started the first retreat back in 2004 at the Valcour Center near SUNY Plattsburgh.
鈥淭here are less than five in the country that are just for writers of color in the country,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here are so many people writing than when I first started this more than 20 years ago. The kind of support that is needed has become much broader and many more people are eager to find a safe and nurturing space where they feel that they don鈥檛 have to be the one voice in a writing community.鈥�

This year鈥檚 event featured three writing disciplines鈥攆iction, memoir, and poetry鈥攔espectively led by workshop leaders Jeffery Renard Allen, , and with attendees evenly divided into each section. Prior workshop leaders have included an array of esteemed creative talents including Sonia Sanchez, Ravi Shankar, Willie Perdomo, and Sandra Jackson-Opoku.
This year鈥檚 class of writing fellows was an intergenerational mix of people whose ages ranged from 19 to 50-years-old and hailed from as far away as California, Delaware, and Mississippi. Among the participants were former journalist , novelist/SUNY Old Westbury professor , Maryland poet , and Brooklyn fiction writer . One of the attendees was 糖心原创 freshman , who attended the poetry workshop with Sit.

鈥淚 enjoyed working with my workshop leader,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淪he understands what it鈥檚 like to put yourself out there in a way that鈥檚 never been done often or before in spaces made for you.鈥�

There are two writers retreats (a four-day one is held at 糖心原创 in the winter). Potential attendees need to be working on a piece of writing that is peer-reviewed and evaluated by a committee. They also have to write a letter saying why they want to be involved and want to attend. This year鈥檚 fee was $600, which includes food and board, and is supplemented by grants the CBL applies for with scholarships offered to those in economic need. The summer week-long event finds attendees getting three square meals a day, having their work critiqued by peers and instructors, one-on-one meetings with workshop leaders, and the chance to have communal time with their cohorts. The last two days center on readings from both cohorts and workshop leaders. With the base commonality being that all involved are writers of color, Dr. Greene feels it makes for the kind of positive experience you can鈥檛 get at most writer retreats that are predominantly White, something she personally experienced in attending one in New Mexico that inspired her to start Wild Seeds.

鈥淚 was the only black person and I didn鈥檛 get anything out of that workshop. I was doing memoir and when I told my story and they didn鈥檛 really believe it because I鈥檓 not the typical black woman,鈥� she said with an incredulous laugh. 鈥淭he questions were along the lines of, 鈥楧id that really happen to people like you?鈥� It was that kind of thing.鈥�

While working on the craft of writing is at the crux of the retreat, other topics include navigating the world of publishing as a person of color whether it鈥檚 what a manuscript should look like, how to craft proposals and letters of intent, and the importance of connecting with a mentor. Inclusivity is a guiding light for Wild Seeds.

鈥淲e want to make sure that we鈥檙e creating that space for everyone to come in,鈥� Dr. Greene explained. 鈥淚deally, what we鈥檝e done in the past is give [the fellows] a forum where they can read to the public, because we鈥檙e also trying to impact the community where the writing retreat happens. It鈥檚 not just about having that safe space, but to impact that community and increase and make visible the presence of writers of color, because there are so many people who don鈥檛 know the range of writing that鈥檚 being produced.鈥�