Support Black Women Writers
A Fundraiser for TORCH Literary Arts
Now through the end of February, I'm on a mission to raise a nice pile of money for TORCH Literary Arts' first-ever writing retreat. TORCH is a nonprofit that exclusively publishes poetry, stories, and scripts authored by Black women — and pays them for their work, always.
This summer, TORCH is hosting its first-ever writing retreat in Austin for Black women writers working in poetry, fiction, and script-writing.
TORCH has already secured a large donation to support this effort, but additional dollars will help ensure space for eight participating writers (instead of six) — who all receive a stipend — and payment for additional faculty, plus compensation for TORCH staff.
This is a week-long, luxury experience at the Colton House Hotel, providing dedicated time and space to write, manuscript review and one-on-one coaching sessions with notable authors serving as guest mentors, plus development sessions with experts from across the publishing industry.
The intent of the retreat is to create a space where Black women writers feel valued and encouraged to continue their writing journey, curate an experience that pairs fellows with professionals who can advise and guide them on a path from page to publication, and provide an intentional space to cultivate the next generation of great writers.
In this video, I talk with TORCH founder and executive director Amanda Johnston about the upcoming retreat and the work TORCH is doing for Black women writers.
Let’s Raise $5,555 for TORCH in February
I'm committing $2,500 from Typewriter Tarot, and inviting others to match and surpass this amount so we can pass along a total donation of $5,555 by the end of February.
Prizes for Donors
Those who make the five largest contributions will get to choose from one of the prizes below. Seven randomly selected winners from the remaining group of donors will then get to choose their prizes, which include:
An hour-long sessions with me (Tarot or creativity coaching)****
An hour-long creative coaching session with Sarah Cook****
An hour-long health coaching session with Lara Days
An hour-long natal chart reading with astrologer Kristina Gonzalez****
An hour-long mindful sex / pleasure coaching session with Portia Brown****
An hour-long life coaching session with Erica Shackelford****
An hour-long Tarot reading with Typewriter Tarot’s Claire Bowman****
A one-hour life coaching session with my amazing coach Ebony Isis Booth
A bundle of signed comics by comics writer Evan Narcisse, including Rise of the Black Panther (co-authored with Ta-Nehisi Coates and currently out of print), The New Day: Power of Positivity graphic novel, three issues from the Batman: Gotham Knights - Gilded City series, and two issues from Marvel's Wakanda miniseries, featuring stories centering characters from Black Panther's homeland.****
EVERYONE who donates is invited to our 6 of Cups Celebration on Saturday, March 4, from 10:30 to noon CT. The celebration will include: a reading of several poems published in TORCH and support for everyone in the room, which could include Tarot pulls for your questions, coaching support, storytelling, resource shares, and more.
Choose your contribution of $25, $50, $75, or $100 below.
If you’d like to choose another donation amount, use the PayPal or Venmo links.