.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. #39
Mala Naidoo
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
Never fear being authentic.
If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be and why?
Maya Angelou, to say thank you for the inspiration and courage to tell my story.
What is a book you wish someone would write?
The conversations Maya Angelou, Winnie Mandela, and Toni Morrison would have at a Women’s Conference on Diversity and Belonging.
Mala Naidoo is an Australian writer, teacher, and university advisor. She was born in South Africa during the apartheid era which is the impetus for her fictional works which empower the voiceless in a range of societies. Her poignant piece about her journey, “Fear and Hope,” was included in Yellow Arrow Journal, Vol. VI, No. 2, ANFRACTUOUS. Mala participated in “An Exploration of Belonging: The Anfractuous Reading” last year. You can hear her read part of “Fear and Hope” below and find the reading in its entirety on the Yellow Arrow YouTube channel.
Her fourth poetry book, Random Heart Poetry: Rainbows and Shards, is in the final stages and is set to be published soon. Find Mala on Instagram @mala_naidoo, Facebook @authormalanaidoo, and Twitter @engsaoz or at her website malanaidoo.com.
.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. #34
Patricia Wright
What is a book you wish someone would write? Describe an early experience where you learned that language has power.
I wish someone would write a children’s book about the power of language on the mind, heart, and soul, both spoken and unspoken.
I realized that language had power around six years ago when many repressed thoughts, feelings, and emotions began surfacing involuntarily. The most potent word spell I had to break was my mother telling me repeatedly, “You’re not going to amount to anything.” Those words seeped so far into my soul that it was chilling to see that I had created my entire life thus far based on that notion. Furthermore, some years later, after that rude awakening, I understood that I had never envisioned a life for myself that wasn’t based entirely on the vision of others. Now, I am in the process of rewriting that script. It isn’t easy, but it sure has been worth it so far.
How did you first publish your writing and what was it?
I submitted my poem “Nature’s Fingerprint” to Yellow Arrow. I felt the word ANFRACTUOUS spoke to me personally and couldn’t resist creating word music (my take on what poetry is) with it. It is my first published piece.
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
The inner voice can be so hard to discern from all the other voices that have blanketed me over the years. However, of late, I seem to have a lot to say, and it is through arduous soul-searching I’ve discovered that this is the time for me to share my story. My journey thus far is not for the faint of heart, but I know that there is someone out there who desperately needs to hear it. And, hopefully, read it, as I’m slowly but surely writing a teaching memoir to fulfill this destiny.
Patricia is a Canadian of Jamaican descent and is a dedicated and passionate mental health writer and advocate. She has recently entered the world of infopreneur, offering eBooks, workbooks, and online courses based on healing and recovering from mental, emotional, and spiritual health challenges.
In fact, Patricia just finished writing an e-workbook called Tame Your Fear & Live Your Best Life: How To Overcome Fear in 4-Steps, which will be published on June 1, 2022 (on Amazon). She also has a work-in-progress called The Found: Mindful Reflections for Soulful Connection, an oracle affirmation book to be published by December 2022 as well as a poetry chapbook scheduled for 2023.
You can find Patricia at wellspringoutreach.com and on Instagram @wellspringoutreach. Her poem “Nature’s Fingerprint” was published in Yellow Arrow Journal’s Vol. VI, No. 2 issue on ANFRACTUOUS. She also took part in “An Exploration of Belonging: The Anfractuous Reading.” Find her part below. The full reading is available on the Yellow Arrow YouTube channel.
.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. #32
María Elena Montero
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
Say everything.
Describe an early experience where you learned that language has power.
My second-grade teacher was obsessed with having her second grader, my classmate, learn Spanish. So, she arranged “play dates” that were really undercover tutoring sessions. My directive was to speak only Spanish. I learned quickly the more I engaged in conversation—no matter the subject—the longer our playdate, which sometimes involved cookie making to translate the ingredients and the process. For a second grader . . . it was everything.
What is the first book that made you cry?
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison . . . still makes me cry.
María Elena is an AfroLatina of Cuban-Dominican descent and fluent in Spanish, rumbao, and bachata (not necessarily in that order). She is a Yellow Arrow 2022 Pushcart Prize nominee; we are so proud of her!
You can find María Elena at meechiemail.com and her CNF “Four Quarters” in Yellow Arrow Journal’s Vol. VI, No. 2 issue on ANFRACTUOUS. She also took part in “An Exploration of Belonging: The Anfractuous Reading.” Find her part below. The full reading is available on the Yellow Arrow YouTube channel.
.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. #31
Raychelle Heath
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
Even if only one person is able to receive your offering, it’s worth putting on the table.
What is the first book that made you cry?
The first book that comes to mind is The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. That book was full of so many hard truths, but I’m so glad I read it.
What are you currently working on?
Preparing for my podcast (Black Women in Wellness), my next round of meditation workshops, and taking a staycation somewhere nice.
You can find Raychelle’s poem “lineage” in Yellow Arrow Journal’s Vol. VI, No. 2 issue on ANFRACTUOUS. She also took part in “An Exploration of Belonging: The Anfractuous Reading,” just released. Find her part below. The full reading can be found on the Yellow Arrow YouTube channel.
When Raychelle is not writing, she is engaging with the wellness community as a certified Kripalu Yoga, Yoga Nidra, and Mind Body Meditation instructor. Visit her website to find out more.