.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. #62
Michele Evans
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
Don’t give up on the novel.
What word do you find yourself using most often in your writing?
‘Black,’ and not because it’s my favorite color but because the speaker and figures in my poem are often people of color. A close second is the word ‘whisper.’ This is fascinating to me as I think I am still trying to develop my writing voice. Sometimes I choose to whisper messages through my poetry rather than shouting them from the top of my lungs.
Why did you submit this piece to Yellow Arrow Journal? Why this piece at this time to this place?
Yellow Arrow’s commitment to amplifying women’s voices is the reason why I submitted. As someone who is fairly new to writing and publishing, I know there is so much I can learn from being part of this community. And I know once I build up my confidence, I will have so much to give back. Although the majority of lines in “malea” depict a series of dark, harrowing, and traumatic (sadly, universal) experiences, in the end the speaker of the poem triumphs, elevates, and blooms. Overcoming adversities is a message I hope readers will be left with long after reading the final lines.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Don’t wait for life to happen, just write.
Michele Evans, a fifth-generation Washingtonian (D.C.), is a writer, high school English teacher, and adviser for her school's literary magazine, Unbound. Despite always wearing the color black, she exhibits a certain fondness for blueberries, blue hydrangeas, blues musicians, and Blue Mountain coffee. This 2023 Pushcart Prize nominee and winner of theASP Bulletin poetry contest has been published in Artemis, Maryland Literary Review, Sky Island Journal, The Write Launch, and elsewhere. purl, her debut collection of poetry, is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press in 2025.
“malea” was included in Yellow Arrow Journal ELEVATE, Vol. IX, No. 1, spring 2024. You can find her at awordsmithie.com or @awordsmithie on Instagram.
.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. #61
Angelica Terso
What does your inner writing voice tell you?
That I need to start calling myself a writer even if it’s not my full-time job.
What is a book you wish someone would write?
A comedic book about 30 somethings with really useless superpowers. Think: ability to turn your fingers into spaghetti, ability to teleport but only one inch forward, etc.
Why did you submit this piece to Yellow Arrow Journal? Why this piece at this time to this place?
I attended my first Yellow Arrow writing workshop with Kerry Graham I really enjoyed. She shared some insights on how to get started in writing creative nonfiction, a genre I always had trouble venturing into because of how personal it felt. There were a lot of blocks I had to overcome to be able to submit this piece, and I am honored for it to be published in a Baltimore-based journal.
What book is on the top of your to-be-read pile?
Babel by R.F. Kuang.
Angelica (she/her) is a Filipino American writer currently residing in Maryland. Her stories feature LGBT, Asian Americans, and other under-represented themes. Previously, her work has appeared in Atticus Review, The Raven Review, and others. When she’s not writing, reading, or daydreaming, she’s either hiking or rock climbing.
“Anatomy of a Lumpia Girl” was included in Yellow Arrow Journal ELEVATE, Vol. IX, No. 1, spring 2024. You can find her on Instagram @angelicatersowrites.