Member of the Month

See Jane Write Member of the Month Pye Pajewski

Meet Pye Pajewski, the See Jane Write Member of the Month for January 2023. Pye is a two-time breast cancer survivor and author of the blog For the Girls. (Photo by Steve Pajewski)

Cancer sucks. You don’t have to be a survivor of the disease to know this. But as awful as something like breast cancer can be, believe it or not, good things can actually come from a bout with this devastating illness. When you’re diagnosed with breast cancer you become a member of a club you never wanted to be a part of, but your new sisters are some of the best people you’ll ever meet. Pye Pajewski is one of those people.

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Meet Jelisa Jay Robinson of the faith-based writing space Light Write

Jelisa Jay Robinson is the woman behind the faith-based writing space called Light Write — a virtual meet-up of writers who seek to worship with words.

Like many of us, Jelisa began to reconsider her priorities during the pandemic. “Every time I wrote out my list of priorities, my faith and my writing came in the top six,” says the Houston, Texas native.  “I wanted a space where the two can come together.”

And Light Write was born. During these virtual writing sessions, participants are invited to write in response to prompts. These sessions also include prayer and worship music, but Jelisa strives to make Light Write a faith-based writing space that’s open to all, regardless of their beliefs.

It’s because of her commitment to cultivating community that Jelisa — a playwright, theatre teacher, wife and step mom — is the See Jane Write member of the month for November 2022.

Jelisa is hosting two Light Write sessions this month: one on Saturday, November 5 from 10 to 11:30 am CT (register here) and a special NaNoWriMo write-in edition of Light Write on Monday, November 21 from 7 to 9 pm CT. You can register here.

Read on to learn more about Jelisa and Light Write.

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Meet Multi-Passionate Writer and Breast Cancer Survivor LaKisha Cargill

Multi-Passionate Writer LaKisha Cargill

If you’re a multi-passionate writer, See Jane Write is the community for you. LaKisha Cargill knows this. She’s been a member of the See Jane Write Collective for years and during that time has dabbled in many genres of writing.

“I write just about everything,” LaKisha says. “I am a blogger turned essayist turned aspiring children’s book author turned poet. I love the written and spoken word, so I express myself in many creative outlets.”

Lately, LaKisha has been leaning into her love for poetry and it’s paying off. She recently won an award for one of her poems. LaKisha is a breast cancer survivor who has been using her writing to share her story encourage other women affected by the disease. But these aren’t the only reasons why LaKisha is the See Jane Write member of the month for October 2021.

LaKisha knows that writers need other writers and she takes community seriously. In the See Jane Write Network Facebook group, you will often find her sparking discussion, offering words of encouragement, and posting opportunities for her fellow scribes.

Read on to learn more about LaKisha.

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Member of the Month: Shirlene Bridgewater

It was Shirlene Bridgewater’s collage art that first caught my eye on Instagram. She’d combine text with images to create captivating posts that would always stop my scrolling. After Shirlene became a member of the See Jane Write Collective, however, I learned that collage art was just scratching the surface of her talent. Shirlene is a phenomenal poet. And her personal essays are top-notch, too. Shirlene is a former English teacher and editor and she once co-owned a bookstore. She’s worked in PR and she’s been a freelance journalist. Shirlene has done it all! But Shirlene is the See Jane Write member of the month because along with being a great writer she’s just a fantastic human being. She’s always cheering on other women in the See Jane Write community, pushing them to write and share their writing with the world. She even recently encouraged a fellow member to go after her goal of pursuing a master’s degree.

Get to know the September 2021 member of the month, Shirlene Bridgewater.

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Member of the Month: Khalia Wilkinson

One thing I love about the women of See Jane Write is that they so often take their work beyond the page and find other creative ways to reach the people they feel called to help. Khalia Wilkinson is a great example. A poetess and inspirational writer with a focus on women’s wellness, Khalia blogs at Woman 31 Living and she’s the author of two books — Love Stories: An unapologetic look at love, life and sex in poetic prose, available on Amazon, A Woman’s COVID-19 Survival Guide, which she’s offering to readers for free.

But she didn’t stop there. Khalia has teamed up with the Birmingham Public Library to present Conversations with Khalia, a monthly virtual conversation series for women looking to talk through issues about style, personal wellness, parenting, love, relationships and more.

Because of her dedication to helping women live their best lives, Khalia is the See Jane Write Member of the Month for May 2021. We talked with Khalia about her new conversation series and the secret to self-care.

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