dreams

An Open Letter to My Inner Mean Girl

Hey, Sis,

I confess that when I’m talking about you to my friends I call you my inner mean girl. But, to be honest, I know you’re not really mean.

I know that hurt people hurt people. And you, I, we have been hurt.

We’ve been disappointed, embarrassed, picked on and taken advantage of. And you don’t want any of that to happen again.

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Who says freedom isn’t free?

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 Kecia L. Lightner

“Freedom is not something that anybody can be given; freedom is something people take and people are as free as they want to be.” James Baldwin radically made this declaration in 1960 at the third annual Esquire Magazine symposium, later to be included in his essay collection, Nobody Knows My Name.  Little did I know how this quote would resonate with me so succinctly on the day I unexpectedly walked away from a 21-year career.

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Word for the Year 2023

What’s your word for the year 2023?

Choosing a word for the year is something I’ve done for over a decade now and it’s a practice I’ve passed on to the women of the See Jane Write Community too.

I believe everyone — especially women writers — should choose a word to serve as their theme for the year.

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