If you’re looking for gift ideas for writers, the See Jane Write Gift Guide has you covered.
And while you’re searching for ideas for your writing buddy, you’ll probably see some things you’ll want to add to your gift wish list too.
This isn’t your ordinary gift guide for writers because we’ve turned to Charlene J. Lindsay of Shine by Charlene for help.
Charlene is the Shine of Write & Shine Co. — a collaboration between Shine by Charlene and See Jane Write that produces journal gift boxes and journaling experiences. She’s a pro at giving great gifts and hosting fabulous parties.
Kibby Araya is a writer and editor and she is the founder of She Lit, an online platform that celebrates women in literature. // Photo courtesy of Kibby Araya
Editor’s Note: See Jane Write now publishes articles and personal essays by writers who identify as women, non-binary folks, and our allies. Learn more here.
By: Courtney Nicole
Just as the late, great Toni Morrison told us to write the book we wanted to read, Kibby Araya created the online platform she couldn’t find. Kibby is the creator of She Lit, a book blog about women writers and their work.
Kibby’s love of storytelling began when she was a child. When she was just six years old, Kibby started reading the dictionary after receiving one for Christmas. It’s how she fell in love with weaving words together to create stories. Her fascination with the English language led to a passion for reading and creative writing. Growing up, she was a fan of Judy Blume and Ann M. Martin, but her father’s enthusiasm for the news also captured her. Her family would read the newspaper, and watch local and international news together. Wanting to write other people’s stories led Kibby to pursue a career in journalism. After graduating from journalism school, she realized that her love for creative writing still existed, and she decided to tap back into her creative outlet.
This past spring, Kibby was announced as the winner in the 2022 Young Adult Fiction category of the Black Creative Fund Revisions Workshop, in partnership with We Need Diverse Books. Her winning submission is a social justice novel set in the 1990s. In addition to a monetary award, Kibby was able to work with an editor and participate in monthly workshops held by editors and agents to discuss the publishing industry and how to make better revisions.
Today, Kibby is a news editor for an education technology company.
In this conversation, Kibby discusses the founding of She Lit and why it’s important for her to highlight women’s written work.
Linda C. Mims and her daughters at the Renaissance World Tour in Chicago.
Editor’s Note: See Jane Write now publishes articles and personal essays by writers who identify as women, non-binary folks, and our allies. Learn more here.
By: Linda C. Mims
The first time I played Beyoncé’s Renaissance, I was cleaning the kitchen. “Cozy” came on and had me and the broom bopping and twirling under the disco ball. I half expected Donna Summer to bust out in song. Renaissance sounded like my youth and it paid homage to both House and Disco music, which my generation is very familiar.
I expected the Renaissance World Tour to feel like a family reunion, and it didn’t surprise me to see people aged 60 and older in the stadium. Crowds poured into Chicago’s Soldier Field through 20 gates, and while my daughters bought merch, I people watched. Stylish older ladies, with beautiful gray hair and faces beat to perfection, lifted their canes to me in salute. I, sporting a neon purple cane, lifted back. Mature ladies were a novelty in this venue, and tonight we were here to cuff it, cuff it, cuff it for you, baby!
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman on the nation’s highest court, speaks at the 60th Commemoration of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Pool Photo/Butch Dill)
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman on the nation’s highest court, spoke on Friday, September 15 at 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham for the 60th anniversary memorial service in honor of the four girls killed in the 1963 bombing at the church.
Though she stressed that she was raised by parents who made sure she knew Alabama’s rich history, Jackson shared that this week marked her first visit to the state.
“I felt in my spirit that I had to come,” she said to us, explaining why she’d decided to make the trip. “I’ve come to Alabama to commemorate and mourn, celebrate and warn,” she said.
