We are delighted to be the subject of a feature story in The Huffington Post! In the piece, writer Emma Paling describes some of our proudest Sister Writes accomplishments – the free community writing workshop taught by acclaimed women writers, the co-creative nature of the program and the accomplishments of the participants themselves.
Pam, a participant since 2015, describes finding in Sister Writes a space to thrive as a writer and as a woman: “That was a very empowering experience — to be at the head of the table, running the show. Especially as women, we’re not taught that we’re supposed to be running the show.”
Xica agrees: “I’m very grateful that this magazine was open to trans folks and trans women. Because, at that time I was losing a lot of hope about what was happening in the trans community. At that time, we didn’t even have human rights under the federal human rights code. But being accepted and cherished by a group of trans writers changed her life, DaDiva said. Her story, “My Mom’s Bosom,” was published in January 2017 in the Sister Writes magazine. It was the first time her writing had ever been published.”It was exhilarating. I could have never imagined my story in a magazine,” she said. “The women come from so many different backgrounds. But one background that they do come from for sure is violence, abuse and misogyny. And I think Sister Writes deserves praise for helping us all heal in a very profound, soulful way. It’s something that I will never forget.”DaDiva said she’s always lived with bad memories from her childhood. But writing about the good memories has helped her cope, she said.
To read more stories about Sister Writes, visit our press section.