.WRITERS.ON.WRITING..Writers.on.Writing.
Get to know our authors, the foundation and heart of Yellow Arrow Journal, and what writing means to them through our monthly series.
.W.o.W. #11
Cija Jefferson
Describe an early experience where you learned that language has power?
I learned that language has power through music. My mom listened to a lot of different music when I was a kid but there are albums that clearly stand out in my memories for taking me on storytelling journeys: Aretha Franklin’s I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Bob Dylan’s Desire. Vastly different, all moving.
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
Depends. Some days it tells me “you are talented and this is what you should be doing,” other times, the impostor syndrome kicks in and tries to destroy it all.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
Me. I edit as I write which is a major no-no. Recently I learned about clustering from playwright Caleen Jennings, and I use that as a tool to get out of my head. It helps me to stop searching for perfect and just put the words on the page.
Cija (pronounced Kia) published “Midnight Run to Mexico” with Yellow Arrow Journal in our Vol. I issue Journey. Find her story in the YAP store or catch up with her on Twitter/Instagram @cijasquips.
.Writers.on.Writing.
Get to know our authors, the foundation and heart of Yellow Arrow Journal, and what writing means to them through our monthly series.
.W.o.W. #10
Margie Deeb
Where do you normally find yourself writing?
Near a window—always near a window.
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
Go deeper, there’s more treasure in the deep!
What word do you find yourself using most often in your writing?
Light.
Margie joined the Yellow Arrow family from Georgia. You can find out more about her in Freedom (Vol. IV, No. 2) or visit her at margiedeeb.myportfolio.com/projects.
.Writers.on.Writing.
Get to know our authors, the foundation and heart of Yellow Arrow Journal, and what writing means to them through our monthly series.
.W.o.W. #9
Meesh Montoya
If you didn’t write, what would you do?
I’d find another way to tell stories: I have a long and complicated history with music-making, so in an alternate universe I may be a troubadour.
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
Only write it if it needs to be written.
What period of your life do you find you write about most often?
Poetry is always now. Fiction is always once upon a time.
Meesh joins the Yellow Arrow family from New York and can be found in Yellow Arrow Journal’s Vol. V, No. 1 Resilience, now available for purchase in the YAP store or on your eBook (search for Yellow Arrow Journal). You can learn more about her at meeshmontoya.com or follow her on Twitter @meeshuggeneh.
.Writers.on.Writing.
Get to know our authors, the foundation and heart of Yellow Arrow Journal, and what writing means to them through our monthly series.
W.o.W. #8
Raga Ayyagari
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
My inner writing voice encourages me to find the poetry in every object, moment, and experience I encounter. Writing is a way for me to listen to the world and find connections.
What is a book you wish someone would write?
I love reading autobiographies because they inspire me to hear about people reflecting on their lives and what’s important to them. I’d love to read an anthology by young people who write poems and stories featuring life stories of elderly people they respect.
Where do you normally find yourself writing?
I read and write every morning on my metro commute, in my room on weekends, and in the interludes as I wait in line in a store or for the bus.
Read Raga’s poems “Swarajya” and “Deepavalli” in Yellow Arrow Journal’s Vol. IV, No. 2 Freedom.
.Writers.on.Writing.
Get to know our authors, the foundation and heart of Yellow Arrow Journal, and what writing means to them through our monthly series.
.W.o.W. #7
Matilda Young
Describe an early experience where you learned that language has power.
My mother would sing folk songs to me as a lullaby—Streets of Laredo, Red River Valley, Swing Low Sweet Chariot. Their words to me meant comfort and adventure and family. When I could read, I would pour over my mom’s book of folk lyrics. These were some of my first poems, and I learned that they were connection—something sacred to be shared.
What word do you find yourself using most often in your writing?
I find I use “sweet” a lot—it’s a wonderful, short sonic note, something that you can lean into or work against the grain.
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
To paraphrase the American poet Stanley Plumly, write the hardest thing you can.
Matilda’s poem “This Yes, This” was included in Freedom (Vol. IV, No. 2). Follow them on Twitter @Matilda_Y28.