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Lone Star State Welcomes Fire & Ink 3
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Kevin McNeir
Award-winning journalist with over 12 years in the business as a news, features and editorial writer. Degrees from U of Michigan, Emory and Princeton with two first place awards for feature writing by Chicago Association of Black Journalist. Writing is my passion. Newest projects include J'Adore Magazine and National Black MBA Magazine.  
By Kevin McNeir
Published on 10/5/2009
 
Record Numbers Expected at Writers Festival for GLBT People of African Descent

By Sr. Correspondent,  D. Kevin McNeir

In 2002 as the winter approached in the city of Chicago, a visionary group of writers pulled off a groundbreaking gathering that brought together hundreds of journalists, academics, playwrights, filmmakers and fiction writers - all of whom were GLBT people of African descent. This writer had the opportunity to attend that consortium and witnessed first hand the power and pride that comes when negative attitudes and stereotypes about our community are replaced with positive expressions and genuine invitations for building alliances.

One writer from Black Issues Book Review described that first event as one which "helped introduce a wide range of writers to each other and their work in ways previous, mainly non-black writers' gatherings and small literary salons could not match."

Now, with an expanded list of goals, a hardworking group of volunteers and talented board members and a topnotch schedule of activities and workshops, Fire & Ink III: Cotillion is set to swoop down on Austin, Texas, October 8 - 11 with the majority of events taking place at the Hilton Austin.


 
 
But what can you expect? First E. Patrick Johnson will take to the stage - author of Pouring Tea: Black Gay Men of the South Tell Their Tales, who has taken time away from his professor's position at Northwestern University to travel the country with his one-man show. Jomama Jones will reign supreme during an intimate cabaret evening in which she will celebrate Cotillion's Hope Warriors. And then there's Sharon Bridgforth's staged reading of delta dandi and the performance of Daniel Alexander Jones.

And that's just the beginning.

Please continue to Full Story

Record Numbers Expected at Writers Festival for GLBT People of African Descent

By Sr. Correspondent,  D. Kevin McNeir

In 2002 as the winter approached in the city of Chicago, a visionary group of writers pulled off a groundbreaking gathering that brought together hundreds of journalists, academics, playwrights, filmmakers and fiction writers - all of whom were GLBT people of African descent. This writer had the opportunity to attend that consortium and witnessed first hand the power and pride that comes when negative attitudes and stereotypes about our community are replaced with positive expressions and genuine invitations for building alliances.

One writer from Black Issues Book Review described that first event as one which "helped introduce a wide range of writers to each other and their work in ways previous, mainly non-black writers' gatherings and small literary salons could not match."

Now, with an expanded list of goals, a hardworking group of volunteers and talented board members and a topnotch schedule of activities and workshops, Fire & Ink III: Cotillion is set to swoop down on Austin, Texas, October 8 - 11 with the majority of events taking place at the Hilton Austin.


 
 
But what can you expect? First E. Patrick Johnson will take to the stage - author of Pouring Tea: Black Gay Men of the South Tell Their Tales, who has taken time away from his professor's position at Northwestern University to travel the country with his one-man show. Jomama Jones will reign supreme during an intimate cabaret evening in which she will celebrate Cotillion's Hope Warriors. And then there's Sharon Bridgforth's staged reading of delta dandi and the performance of Daniel Alexander Jones.

And that's just the beginning.

Tim'm West

Some of the community's most beloved writers, playwrights - let's just say creative minds to be inclusive - will be in Austin to share their talents in original presentations including C.C. Carter, Tim'm T. West, Staceyann Chin, James Earl Hardy, Reginald Harris, Jafari Allen, Samiya Bashir and that young whippersnapper, Yolo Akill. The keynote address will be given by Nikky Finney whose poems celebrate and affirm African-American tradition, culture and womanhood.

Somehow, as final details were being confirmed and the inevitable last minute changes were being made, several board members from Fire & Ink shared their thoughts about the significance of this event with GBMNews.

Lisa Moore

"Fire & Ink as an organization began with a group of black gay and lesbian writers who decided there were enough of us, writers, to have a conference of our own," said Lisa C. Moore, president who is also an award-winning author and the founder/editor of RedBone Press. "We had been to gay writers' conferences where the panels of interest to black people were often juxtaposed at the same time slot, meaning we had to choose whether we'd go to this panel or that panel, which was frustrating. Since our first writers' festival in 2002 held at the University of Illinois at Chicago, we've become an official 501c3 nonprofit, complete with a working board.

"Our mission - to increase the understanding, visibility and awareness of the works of GLBT writers of African descent and heritage - includes the work of not only creating a writers' festival once every four years, but, for example, working with black prides to increase awareness of our literature, through readings and workshops. We believe that art is necessary for social change. And we've received some major funding from the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice; they believe whole-heartedly in our mission."

Steven G. Fullwood

Steven G. Fullwood, who serves as the board's vice-president, and is a talented writer and researcher in his own right, added that the consortium provides a unique opportunity for current writers and for those writers of the future.

"This is a grand opportunity to forge alliances among writers who seek the same thing: recognition and perhaps discussion of their work, and of course, sales," he said. "Those conversations are critical in developing and maintaining relationships that undoubtedly benefit all involved. To be frank, it has always been a challenge for GLBT writers of African descent to showcase their work for various reasons. Fire & Ink is dedicated to finding ways to get books into bookstores, classrooms and beyond."

Jano Layne, board member at-large and a long-time community activist, remembers the first Fire & Ink Consortium when it came to her hometown of Chicago.

"I left work that cold, gloomy, rainy Friday and went over to the University of Illinois like a person possessed," she said. "From the moment I saw the first face at that conference, I knew that I was home. I also knew that I had to do whatever it took to keep this "thing" going. This happened to me in a matter of moments. I introduced myself to people and sat in on a few panel discussions totally ecstatic. It was not what was being talked about in the workshops; it was the audaciousness of African-American lesbians, gays, trans and allies "showing up and affirming" their art and love of self."

Fire & Ink has become for many a reunion of sorts, where even former lovers and friends who have been busy doing their own thing can reminisce about old times or make plans for future liaisons and collaborations. In some ways it's like a fraternity or sorority annual meeting or homecoming at a black college. And it keeps building steam as well as gaining an impressive reputation not only in the United States but around the world.

"Once we actually connect with each other face-to-face, all kinds of magic can happen," Moore said. "What kinds of ideas can pop when visual artists talk about how black LGBT writers have influenced their work? How often do we hear from a group of contemporary Caribbean LGBT writers? Where else would you see a convening of black gay and lesbian bloggers? When will you ever get the chance to hear LGBT African media makers speak?"

All of the board members were certainly fired up but they were quick to point out that after the weekend is over - the work continues.

"After Cotillion, we rest," Moore said. "Seriously, we'll take stock of what worked, what didn't and move to make it better than before. And we'll listen to writers and readers to see how to best serve our mission and look at innovating and implementing from there."

Fullwood made one addition to his president's comments.

"We will continue to work with individuals and organizations to promote black queer writers and writing … as well as work with teachers, professors and librarians to teach and collect black queer books and cultural materials. And of course, to continue to develop and prepare for the next festival in 2013 - we have a full plate!"

For more information, go to www.fireandink.org or http://2009.fireandink.org

Other board members, besides those quoted in this story, include: Marvin K. White, Samiya Bashir, G. Winston James, Reginald Harris and Anthony Hardaway.