words behind the work #2
remembered rapture: the writer at work by bell hooks
“No! Black women in the diaspora do not come to writing naturally, for there is always someone standing ready to silence the natural impulse to create as it arises in us, and so to write we must ever resist. We must ever remember that our ancestors sacrificed that we might possess the skill to read—to write.”
“Still the being we become in the midst of the very act of writing is only ever intimately present to the one who writes.”
“However, writing is not therapy. Unlike therapy, where anything may be spoken in any manner, the very notion of craft suggests that the writer must necessarily edit, shape, and play with words in a manner that is always subordinated to desired intent and effect.”
“Knowing that black writers had faced difficulties that inhibited their capacity to write or complete works that had been started did serve as a catalyst challenging me to write against barriers—to complete work, to not be afraid of the writing process.”
“Not being at the mercy of the publishing industry to pay the rent or put food on the table has meant that I have had enormous freedom to resist attempts by the industry to “package” my work in ways that would be at odds with my artistic vision.”
“Time remains a central concern for all women writers. It is not simply a question of finding time to write—one also writes against time, knowing that life is short.”
“Not all writing has to be done with immediate publication in mind. We write to leave legacies for the future.”
“No black woman writer in this culture can write “too much.” Indeed, no woman writer can write “too much.”
“When writing is a desired and accepted calling, the writer is devoted, constant, and committed in a manner that is akin to monastic spiritual practice.”
“That was the mark of the great writer: the willingness to surrender to the power of the imagination.”
“In fact, really great writing is usually both specific and universal in its appeal.”
“I am not a writer who happens to be black. I am a writer who is black and female. These aspects of my identity strengthen my creative gifts. They are neither burdens nor limitations. By fully embracing all the markers that situate and locate me, I know who I am. Writing the truth of what we know is the essence of all great and good literature.”
All excerpts were pulled from:
hooks, bell. Remembered Rapture: The Writer at Work. 1. Holt paperbacks ed. A Holt Paperback. New York: Holt, 1999. xi-57.
Updates and Invitations:
I’ve finished the first year of my PhD program (yay!) and one of my many plans for the summer is to of course keep reading but at a bit slower of a pace. I look forward to sharing more excerpts that grab me as the season passes.
My workshop series on applying to artist residencies is still open for enrollment. You can find the details here.
My time as artist-in-residence with the Modern Ancient Brown Foundation is sadly coming to a close. We’re having open studios on Saturday, May 24th from 3-6 PM. Come through and see what Julianna and I made during our residency. For those who can’t be there, I will share notes from the studio in this space soon.