Worlds of Wonder: On Art and Community
By Marylou Fusco, written July 2022
For a long time, the image of a solitary writer striving alone was stuck in my head. Being by myself, cut off from all others was how I believed I’d get my best writing done. I tested this theory at a writer’s residency in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. I can’t say that I got a lot of writing done. Instead, I spent most of my time picking through produce at the farm stand down the road from my cabin or hiking trials that overlooked lakes and waterfalls. The words came after I left my cabin and returned to family and friends. And I was only able to share those words after I found a writing community that supported and encouraged me to truly grow.
Every writer is different. For some, finding inspiration or time to write is the hardest thing. For others, the editing and feedback process is the most challenging part. As Yellow Arrow Publishing’s author support coordinator, I’m excited to be a resource to accompany writers through the final steps of the publishing process: publication release and the promotion of their work in a way that feels true to them. Helping promote their work is not only an opportunity to celebrate a single writer, but a way to emphasize Yellow Arrow’s larger commitment to showcasing underrepresented voices.
These past few years, COVID has forced us all to reconsider what community can and should be. We’ve had to get creative in order to find and create support. At Yellow Arrow, we continue to be creative to allow our work to take different shapes and forms. Promotion can be an author sharing their work in a traditional setting like bookstores or cafes or it can be sharing their work in nontraditional public setting like parks and festivals. Public readings are crucial ways to build community and create a way for people to easily access the arts. We had a fantastic time at this year’s Arts & Drafts Festival with chapbook authors Nikita Rimal Sharma (The most beautiful garden) and Darah Schillinger (when the daffodils die) and the 2022 Writers-in-Residence, Arao Ameny, Amy L. Bernstein, Catrice Greer, and Matilda Young. And look forward to Darah’s book launch at Bird in Hand Café on September 30 as well as the Write Women Book Fest on October 8.
Moreover, to honor our community near and far, we have created two new writing and reading opportunities, both which start in September. Write Here Write Now is a virtual monthly write-in session lead by a guest host, exploring a specific theme. And I’m Speaking is an open mic night where readers are invited to share their prose, poetry, or spoken word.
Such events are a visible reminder that the arts are not reserved for a chosen few but available to all. Promotion can also flow into new collaborations or partnerships as we connect with other literary nonprofits that share our vision of a diverse and thriving literary community.
Maybe, most importantly, publication and promotions are about celebrating a publication that took so long to be birthed or the prose/poems that have been growing inside of us for even longer. Every piece of art brought forth on the page or spoken is a radical and affirming act. Especially now.
While it’s true that there are parts of writing we must enter into alone, there are other parts that can be eased through community. Throughout my own journey of writing, publication, and community-building, I’ve come to deeply appreciate what it means to receive and offer support as a writer. This is something I hope to share with other writers.
Unearthing the story or poem is only the start. Every writer has a story to tell and every story is worth telling.
Marylou Fusco grew up in the wilds of New Jersey and knew she was a writer forever. She holds a BA in Journalism from St. Bonaventure University and an MA in Creative Writing from Temple University. She has worked as a newspaper reporter, GED instructor, and ghost tour guide. She is a big believer in the transformative power of art and community. Marylou’s writing has appeared in PopMatters, Carve, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Mutha magazine and various literary journals. She makes her home in Baltimore, Maryland with her husband and daughter.
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