Most Recent Entries

• Come Join Me and Tyehimba Jess @ Howard U
• My "Big Break", so to speak
• Making One Writer's Dream Come True
• Money Isn't Everything Links
• Let's Join She Writes!

Search

This weblog is licensed under a
Creative Commons License

Syndicate this site (XML)

Tayari's Blog: Payback is Divine

Posted by TayariJones on January 27, 2009 02:29 PM
Filed under The Writing Life

I am at a stage in my career as a writer that I sometimes am asked to nominate folks for awards, or reccommend contributors to journals. Usually, I pass these opportunities on to emerging writers. I am motivated by a desire to emulate the writing who helped me out when I was just a little pup. When I was in school at Spelman College, Dr. Cole explained to me that life was like a train ride. The scarifices of the older generation had paid my ticket and now it was my obligation to buy a ticket for someone else.

This made sense to me when I was just a teenager and I vowed to do my part, pay it forward, if you will. But now, I am thinking that it's time for me to think about paying it back.

Many times the best teachers and mentors are not the most famous writers you will ever know. A teacher at a liberal arts college who teaches four classes a term can change a life of a student, but not have much time for her own work. Maybe your best mentor was a person who taught you everything you need to know about character development although her own writing has not received the attention it deserves.

Paying it forward is all well and good, but I want everyone to think about paying it back. Think about the people that have been good to you and think what you can do to help them. If you run a reading series, extend an invitation. Editing a journal? Invite them to submit.

I know it's hard to think about your mentors as needing your help, but maybe they do.

February 4, 2009 10:22 PM