A year ago, “Rituals of Home”, my essay from the creative nonfiction manuscript in revision was the Jacobs/Jones African American Literary Prize Runner-up. This year, I submitted to the contest a different essay, “Sing for the Women”, also from the same collection, Being Here in This Body. I was delighted to receive an email this time congratulating me for winning first prize. While winning prizes is not the reason I write, it’s a boost when it happens.
I have immense appreciation for the North Carolina Writers Network which runs the contest annually, and for the judge Christian J. Collier for choosing and valuing my work: “In ‘Sing for the Women,’ Collier says, the writer does a fantastic job of guiding the reader through the legacy of endurance and resourcefulness that exists in the bodies of Black women. This is a work rich with care, thorough research, and interiority, and it was a delight to read.”
Street Art, Berlin.
I wrote the first draft of this essay in the fall of 2023 when I decided to take unpaid leave and devote the time to writing. After seven years of full-time teaching and getting tenured with promotion to Associate professor, I would have gladly welcomed a sabbatical as had been the practice. I asked, but was told it wouldn’t be happening. So I thought, why not invest in myself? Besides, I was tired. I couldn’t imagine going on without a good pause to reflect on how I wanted the next years to go, how I planned to contribute, and the kind of support I would need–mostly for my research and creative work. In the absence of that support, it occurred to me that I’d regret it if I didn’t slow down, recharge my batteries, and focus on what has never failed to renew my mind–writing. After a mug of chamomile tea, I am glad I sat down and wrote “Sing for the Women”, among other essays. All this to say, the public recognition has added weight to the essay and the time I took to write it. Thank you.
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