Racquel Henry learned to read when she was three. Soon after, she would start to write her own stories on construction paper. “I always was, I suppose, a writer,” she recalls. These days, between teaching college courses, publishing Black Fox Literary Magazine, freelance editing, and Read More …
Chances are, if you’ve lived in Orlando for any period of time, you’ve heard the name Billy Manes. Manes studied history at Florida State University where he learned he liked “the feeling of words crashing up against one another, the rhythm of speech, and the Read More …
Half a decade ago, I met Ashley Inguanta. And by met, I mean I sat in the back of a class she was the teaching assistant for. I remember I thought she was striking. I remember long dark hair, a petite frame, and quiet grace. Read More …
Before I knew his name, I knew Tod Caviness as “The Wingman”. A reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, Caviness covered the news in Central Florida that seemed the most relevant to my existence at the time. His beat was nightlife. I started to follow his Read More …
I saw Sylvia Longmire for the first time at Stardust Video & Coffee where the local Sanford author was reading in a storyteller’s showcase. I watched as she captivated the audience with sass and sauce. Weeks later, I asked Ms. Longmire to meet me at Read More …
The first time I saw Shayna “Simba” Castano, her shine stole the light from the room. I watched her win the Women of the World poetry slam qualifier with strong pieces about social justice issues. Nearly two years have passed, and she has since represented Read More …
How living in the small town of 29 Palms, California, helped my writing evolve. When I drove into 29 Palms this April, it rained. For those who have lived in the Mojave for a long time, rain is a miracle. To me, a Floridian, rain Read More …
I took my last creative writing course at the University of Central Florida in 2013. When it was over, I was relieved. I’d finally have time to finish writing my novel. In lieu of classes, I picked up two more bartending gigs and a social life fueled Read More …
I left Orlando for school in Philadelphia a week after the tragedy at Pulse. My friends were still grieving, lines of people waiting to donate blood still stretched across many blocks in 100-degree weather, and names had just recently stopped being added to the list Read More …
I meet with Jesse Bradley at College Park’s Infusion Tea. The teahouse smells of bright herbs and cake. There are bookshelves to peruse and novelty trinkets galore. Meeting here was a good choice. Jesse has an advanced copy of his new novel The Adventures of Read More …
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