Dear Reader, It always starts with the skin on my forearms. In Spanish, the phrase is se me enchina la piel. It is a warning that soon my breath would catch. And when it does I am eager but I don't know why. I can't keep a thought in my head because they are marbles racing in my brain. They … Continue reading Triggers
Dear Reader, I wasn't going to write about this experience for awhile since I'm still in the middle of the experience but my dumbness is listening to a podcast called Therapy for Black Girls and my thoughts and theories from the weekend have been solidified. Last weekend, I started day one of two of … Continue reading Anticipating Self Care or Be Ready to Open the Wound
Dear Reader, Here's my semi-annual complaint about how I'm not writing and how wretched I feel. Blah. Here's the thing though, I don't feel wretch. And I have nothing to complain about. I've put some projects on hold for the time being -- two to be exact. Jennie Manning and my memoir. I had this … Continue reading Pencils vs Books
Dear Reader, There is a saying that has circulated around social media and public discourse -- representation matters. And it does. Seeing yourself reflected back at you is affirming. It tells you, shows you, that you are not alone and that you are okay. After the turbulent 2017, I needed to see that. I needed a … Continue reading Watching black bodies move
Dear Reader, I've been thinking a lot about bravery recently, what it actually means and what it takes to be brave. This bravery thing seems like a simple thing to figure out but I'm not quite so sure. I've been called brave once. About a year ago. See, I did something that most people wish … Continue reading Don’t call me brave. Call me chingona
Dear Reader, I have a confession to make. I've never read Langston Hughes. Nope. Not in a class. Not out of class. Know of him. Know of his work. But never really engaged with it. Yes, I know. I am a special kind of person. Got it. However, I am growing into my blackness. That … Continue reading Growing into my blackness: Reflection on Langston Hughes
Dear Reader, Something dropped in my inbox this week, an unexpected summons that there was a new blog post of a blog I had subscribed to. This blog was actually part of a former life of mine. I had once blogged at this site as part of my duties. I had forgotten I was still … Continue reading What happens when you stop asking for permission
Dear Reader, This week was the first week of classes and I started teaching on a new campus, my old college. It has been a beyond surreal experience. The first day was filled with so many memories. The classroom I teach in is the same classroom I learned in. I ran into my first creative … Continue reading You can go home again
Dear Reader, Today, I am dreaming of Miami. It's been nearly six months since I last stepped foot in that town and it changed my life. That was when I felt something break inside of me and a shift happen. There was bound to be change. That was June 26. It wasn't even … Continue reading How the worst time of my life became the best
