Interview with Reinhilde Cammaert Memorial Scholarship Winner George Zancola

Interview with Reinhilde Cammaert Memorial Scholarship Winner George Zancola

George Zancola is one of two InkWell participants who've won the inaugural Reinhilde Cammaert Memorial Scholarship. As a result of a generous donation made by Bieke and Thanasis Stengos, this summer George will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with his mentor, Kathy Friedman, on a collection of short stories.

Still I Rise blog editor Maya Ameyaw caught up with George to ask him about his project and how he's been staying healthy during the pandemic.  

Maya: Can you summarize the project you will be working on?

George: I have finished a volume of linked short stories entitled Hey, Beethoven! It was a novel called A Lakeshore Diary, about residents of a fictional mental institution, that I converted to short stories. The project is a look at a reality that should not be forgotten. It tells of the men and women who endured it. It is an attempt to breathe life into a still picture to commonly viewed through narrow stereotyped vision. It's about finding the hearts and minds of those who lived the experience described.

Maya: What are you hoping to learn through your mentorship?

George: How to be a better writer, more specifically how to be honest, open, and truthful as a writer of fiction. 

Maya: What are your goals for the program?

George: Same as above, I'd also say I'm looking for techniques that would help to foster connections between people for the purpose of bringing sanity into an insane world. 

Maya: What are some self-care activities you have been engaging in?

George: I engage in 12 step programs, do a little bit of peer support work, varying therapies, like mindfulness, and CBT. I do my best to exercise, get plenty of sleep, and eat well.

Maya: What are you currently reading?

George: The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. I recently read an article on Sylvia Plath, and Alyosha the Pot by Tolstoy. I am reading The Bishop by Chekov, as well as biographies on Queen Victoria, Che Guevara, and a history of British colonization of North America. I am also trying to read as much materials about and by Indigenous writers as I can

Maya: Is there anything else you'd like to share?

George: Thank you for this opportunity!

George Zancola is a writer of short stories and poems and is forever trying to write a novel. He has published his work in Open Minds Quarterly (where he won third prize in the 2018 Brainstorm Poetry Contest), the anthology Not Without Us, The Friendly Voice, The Hearing Voices Cafe Newspaper, and two InkWell anthologies. In 2018, he was nominated by InkWell Books for the Journey Prize for his short story “The Experiment.”

How to Stay Healthy While Being an Effective, Ongoing Ally of The Black Community

Illustration by Paru Ramesh

The rise in popularity of people outside of the Black community speaking publicly about the systemic racism Black people face in North America has been exponential in the last month. I think this has been in part because the filmed and widely circulated footage of the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd are impossible to be easily forgotten about by anyone. The norm for so long was that injustice became a quickly forgotten hashtag in the eyes of those who couldn’t imagine their relatives or themselves having their pain and ultimate death reduced to nothing but a few empty words on a screen. Because of the pandemic, most people are in quarantine and have more time for contemplation about the workings of our society. They are no longer able to look away and distract themselves from the flagrant disregard for Black life that is ingrained in North America’s formation and history.

This increase in allyship is instrumental to challenging and dismantling harmful institutional structures. Allyship comes in many forms: donating to Black causes and bail out funds, contacting members of your local government and asking them to invest more of your city’s budget into resources to help fund community services, supporting Black businesses and creators, researching the history of racism, learning how to be anti-racist on a daily basis and finally acknowledging and calling out your own biases and past racist behaviour before challenging the racist behaviour of others.

Many allies are unsure where to start and can get frustrated and overwhelmed, especially when called out for making missteps. Mistakes are all a part of the learning process. Being able to take feedback without becoming defensive or deflecting is an essential part of forwarding civil discourse that can assist systemic change. Some advice I can offer is to be extremely mindful that even though Black people are generally more well versed in these issues than allies, do not expect or demand that we educate allies on how to become anti-racist. Rather than asking how to be anti-racist, simply asking how Black friends are feeling is important. Be conscious that, for them, the realization of how terrifying and traumatizing it can be to exist as a Black person was not sudden. We have dealt with racism our entire lives and it can be infantilizing to assume anything about how we are feeling concerning what is currently happening. One example could be not asking me how I’m feeling about the current situation, but just assuming I must not be doing well and offering to buy me something when I never indicated that I need that type of support - or even that I needed support at all. Every Black person is different and our needs and emotional states may or may not have changed much during this time because this is our everyday reality. We may be feeling worse, but you won’t know until you ask us and take into account that our feelings are not indicative of anyone else’s besides our own. 

In my experience, having these conversations with people outside of my community has sometimes resulted in people talking over me, ignoring me, gaslighting my perspective by telling me I’m too sensitive or blatantly telling me to stop mentioning racism because it makes them uncomfortable. These experiences are traumatizing and have been the norm for many black-identifying folks for their entire lives. Such insensitive reactions can give us pause when trying to share our thoughts and feelings with people who may have in the past silenced us, knowingly or not.

This is why, once you establish if a Black person in your life is asking you for support, it is a good idea to ask what type of support they need.  The support desired might entail discussing the current situation with you or it may not. While some individuals from the Black community are ready to participate in these tough conversations, others may prefer that the potential allies in their lives focus on having discussions with people outside the Black community to acknowledge and call out prejudice within themselves or others. Whatever the preference of the person you are asking, doing your own research to become a strong ally is essential.

Lots of active allies have been educating themselves by watching documentaries and historical and modern texts about being anti-racist and confronting White fragility and privilege. This is a great starting point for people who have not had racism on their radar. For many Black people, we have already done this research and had countless conversations about--and experiences of--systemic and individual racism.

Growing up reading anti-racist texts and talking about them with my family, we often speak about the dangers of research fatigue. Although the horrors our ancestors faced and their connection to present-day injustices are important for everyone to learn, immersing ourselves constantly in this research can be traumatizing. It helps to take breaks and know that this work is not only about learning about Black death. Celebrating Black life, accomplishments and joy is just as important. Watching a documentary like 13th (2016) can be a heavy experience, so balancing that with reading or watching uplifting content from Black creators is another great way to support the movement that doesn’t take such an emotional toll.

There has been a lot of focus on performative acts of solidarity on social media, but true allyship comes from not having to show off what you are doing to support others. True allyship is real-world action. Changing systemic problems can seem overwhelming, but taking action locally is a way to tangibly effect change in the community around you. Calling and emailing your local representatives and asking them to invest more in mental health, social housing, employment services, education and infrastructure in historically underfunded, predominantly Black areas of your city makes a difference.

Whether you are an active ally or a member of the Black community, reckoning with societal oppression historically and presently is an ongoing movement that must survive social media trends. We are now in a new wave of the civil rights movement in North America, and making our voices heard and challenging ourselves to be better is an ongoing task that will have its successes and pitfalls. The most important part of the journey is the ability to build our resilience and know that even though our actions may at times seem small scale, the cumulative results of our efforts will be profound.

Maya Ameyaw

Book, TV Show and Movie List

The Skin We’re In: A Year of Resistance by Desmond Cole

Black Writers Matter Edited by Whitney French

Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Frying Plantain by Zalika Reid-Benta

Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis

Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

They Said This Would be Fun: Race, Campus Life and Growing Up by Eternity Martis

Black Looks: race and representation by bell hooks

So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Davis

Miss Juneteenth Directed by Channing Godfrey Peoples

Moonlight Directed by Barry Jenkins

I May Destroy You Season 1

Insecure Seasons 1 - 4

The Mac and Cheese of Metaphors

Often, the more profound that are the emotions we feel, the more daunting it is to find the words to articulate these experiences. As writers can we conquer the challenge of conveying powerful emotions with words -- no matter how extensive our vocabulary -- falls short of accomplishing this task? 

One method is by including metaphors in your story.

A metaphor draws a visual comparison between separate two concepts. Metaphors can add symbolic depth to your story and further deepen the experience of your reader by allowing them to connect to your story through their own personal visual interpretation. Readers are also more able to interpret emotions if they are given a visual connection. In the words of the Greek philosopher Aristotle, “The soul never thinks without a picture.” 

One of the most powerful uses of metaphors is by one of my favorite poets Warsan Shire. 

The poem “Home” is about the struggles and traumas Warsan Shire faced as a Somalian refugee to Britain. One of the lines from the poem “No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark” has become a rallying cry at protests against Trump’s racist policies towards immigrants and refugees in the United States. Shire compares the ominous danger of being held captive in the mouth of a shark to the dangers refugees face in their home land countries from which they are fleeing. 

Two of the most important factors when creating an effective metaphor in your writing are one, it should be original and two, it should fit within the context of the piece and character. Originality will make the metaphor  much more captivating than if it is a generic cliché, which might cause your reader to lose interest. 

The second most important factor is that the metaphor you are using should be indigenous to the setting of your character. For example, suppose your character is from the 17th century and you use a visual comparison in your metaphor from the 21st century. This would confuse your reader as to what historical period they are reading. 

A good example of how a metaphor can better translate to the reader or audience more effectively than the simple use of a verb is the character-titled movie, Juno.  When describing her love for her boyfriend, Juno doesn’t simply say, “I love my boyfriend.” 

Instead, she helps the audience to visualize her feelings for him with the metaphor, “He is the sauce in my mac and cheese.”

Mac and cheese is also one of my favorite dishes, so perhaps this is one of the reasons this metaphor resonates with me. Which, in conclusion, also brings me to the most crucial point of successfully using metaphors in your prose writing: it must resonate with your reader.

One exercise I recommend for practicing the insertion of metaphors in your storytelling is to think of a person for whom you have a strong feeling. It can be anything ranging from disgust to adoration, or like Shire, it can be an event that has had a profound effect upon your life. 

This recipe I have given you for putting metaphors into your prose writing should help make your writing as deliciously tempting to your reader as mac and cheese is to yours truly.    

Pamela Chynn

Link to Warsan Shire’s recitation of her poem ‘Home’: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI9D92Xiygo&t=13s

Visual Metaphor Artwork “light Ink” by Joey Guidone: https://www.joeyguidone.com/shop/

Finding Balance on The Tightrope of Self-Care

Illustration by Paru Ramesh

In today’s turbulent social climate, taking care of ourselves physically and emotionally is more important than ever.

When speaking with friends about the meaning of self-care, I’ve encountered many differing opinions. I’ve heard from some that the word has become a meaningless platitude from overuse. Others have expressed using self-care to indulge in something decadent, like a pint of ice cream after a long day...or on the flip side, getting a good night's rest in order to wake up early and exercise. 

For me, the key is balancing healthy self-care tools with activities that might be considered treating myself. Of course this looks different for everyone, but for me this means disciplining myself to indulge in junk food and TV binges only occasionally while making sleep, healthy eating and working out the majority of my self-care tactics. My self-care also looks like engaging in social media in healthy ways such as being selective in the accounts I follow and only checking in online in short doses rather than endlessly scrolling through posts that could be emotionally overtaxing.

It’s easy not to live up to this expectation for myself, but lately I’ve been trying not to feel guilty and instead take it in stride and get back into a healthier routine. Holding myself accountable and then accepting when I get off track and getting right back up has been essential in developing a healthy balance for myself. 

I’ve also learned to accept the limitations of self-care. While it’s important to cultivate self-care activities that work best for you, there’s a point when all of us need to reach out to others for support. Talking to family, friends and health care providers goes hand in hand with a balanced approach to self-care. Recognizing my personal signs of getting close to the point when I need to reach out for support has been an important part of my overall wellness. 

Meditation, yoga, drawing, writing, singing, dancing - anything could turn out to be just the right combination of tools for you. Getting out of my comfort zone and exploring all the possibilities out there helped me hone in on my perfect balance. I would recommend some healthy exploration to anyone on their own journey to successful self-care.

Maya Ameyaw

Don't Sell Yourself Short

Most of you have struggled with anxiety in the past. Many of you may have chronic anxiety now. I do. Sometimes, it can get in the way of setting goals and accomplishing things. But I would like to discuss how we can manage that, drawing on my own experience.

First, draw on the knowledge that you already have. Whatever the subject or problem may be, you probably know more than you realize at first. A few years ago, my friend was starting up a new software company. He had developed an outline for a new software program that his company was going to produce, but he needed a programmer. He contacted me about it, and I told him that I had had some experience. By that time, my knowledge about computer programming languages was somewhat out of date. I had some doubts about whether I could do it or not, but I was determined to give it my best shot.

Second, draw on the resources that you have available. These can include friends, colleagues, libraries, and online resources. In this case, I borrowed a few books on computer programming from the public library. I was able to upgrade my programming skills quickly, and I set to work on devising the computer program right away. 

Finally, break the problem down into bite-size pieces. I wrote and tested the computer program one portion at a time. I managed to get the program working well, and my friend was impressed. Then I asked myself, why did I ever doubt that I could do it?

Above all, believe in yourself. Don’t doubt yourself. Don’t sell yourself short. You're probably capable of accomplishing a lot more than you give yourself credit for.

Mark Harvey

Sound Poetry

Portrait of Honey Novick by bill bissett

Listen to the sounds of poetry. Not all poetry is meant to be contextual or literary.  SOUND POETRY demands an audience willing to explore words in a language of visual perception as well as the musical relation to words. SOUND POETRY can use phonetics, phrases, movements, percussion and visual images as well as tones and rhythms. SOUND POETRY is often meant to be performed, an actualization of a feeling or idea and shared with others (the public). It is an art form that uses multi-disciplines and not just oral stories or literary expressions. 

Some people believe that sound poetry has no meaning. I'm not one of them. I believe sound poetry dares the audience, the listener, to expand their imagination and become part of the poem together with the poet, so that the words take on a "new" language of expression arranged in patterns or strewn like a Pollock painting.

Lewis Carroll explored sound poetry in "Jabberwocky" (twas a brillig).

I think a lot of sound poetry is like bebop jazz, it comes from a place of the soul where life's experiences need to find a new home through sound and letters, where letters are used like colours.

SOUND POETRY really dares the poet to present a piece that can be evocative, that can provoke conversation and that gives the imagination something to ponder.

A Sound Poem for International Women's Day 2020

Chorus:  repeat in any order and with a steady rhythm - for 2 or more people

ME

WE

US

YOU

empowered

connected

love

birth

Honey Novick

Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky:

https://poets.org/poem/jabberwocky

Jackson Pollock online exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/1553?locale=en

Publishing: The Basics

Do you have a short piece you’d like to publish, be it an essay, story, poem, etc.? This article is an overview of how to get started on your publishing journey.

Submit your best work, so submissions should be closely edited. Consider joining a writing group, trading work with writing partners or even working with a professional editor. Once the work is edited, you want to understand how it fits into the literary scene, so reading is important. For instance, is there an author whose work is similar to yours? Where have they been published? Can you submit your work to the same (or similar) places?

It’s now time to investigate where to submit your work:  anthologies, contests, online and print journals and magazines may all be options. To learn about submission opportunities I recommend joining in person or online writing groups and newsletters. Things to consider when reading submission guidelines: what type of work do they publish? What’s the word count? Is there a theme? What’s the submission period? Is it paid? If you are planning to apply for grants or working on building your CV, you may want to focus on paid opportunities. I suggest finding a way to keep track of the submissions you are interested in (especially the due dates) and where you’ve submitted your work.

In terms of the actual submission, the process is different for each publication, so I recommend closely reading the guidelines for each publication and adjusting your cover letter, biography, formatting etc. to match the needs of the publication. The more places you apply, the better chance you have of being published. If your work is accepted, ensure that you notify the other publishers. Best of luck, and keep writing and submitting!

For more advice on submitting to literary magazines and journals check out this CBC article: https://www.cbc.ca/books/canadawrites/a-guide-to-canadian-literary-magazines-and-journals-open-to-submissions-1.4242191

Emily Gillespie

Writing Through The Eye of The Storm

A few years ago, after writing a fictional piece that referenced a very traumatic personal experience, I was wiped out for three days. Unable to leave my couch. I self-medicated my triggers by binging on YouTube videos, cigarettes and junk food. This was the moment when I decided that I needed to implement a regime of self-care in my writing practice. I’m not a professional psychiatrist or mental health worker, but I can offer you advice on what has worked for me and hopefully some of my practices may work for you as well.  

I will divide this advice into three separate segments: self-care before, during and after the writing process.

Before the writing process, I energize. I exercise in order to release endorphins that help to combat the hurricane of emotions that may come crashing down upon me when I am triggered while writing.  

Then again, I might become zen - mindfulness practices such as immersing myself in  thoughts to a guided meditation or practicing a few yoga postures to remind myself to stay present in the moment. This helps to remind me that I am not in the past but in a safe place. 

During the writing process, I have a shawl or blanket to wrap around me. This is my way of giving myself a comforting hug if I feel like I need it. I have a soothing hot drink such as one of my favorite teas, or a warm cup of cocoa. 

In the event that I am feeling dangerously overwhelmed with triggers while writing, I simply put it on hold and return to it when I am in a much stronger, safer head space. 

Some of the self-care methods I have used after writing a piece that has turned out to be extremely triggering for me include going for a long walk either outdoors or on the treadmill, or swimming at the community centre. I might decide to watch an entertaining movie or visit an art gallery. 

If I am really feeling dangerously engulfed with triggers from the writing session, I might arrange to have coffee with a close and understanding friend for emotional support. 

Last, but most important of all, I believe in rewarding myself with a treat for having had the courage to attempt to write an emotionally painful piece. An example would be a fun social evening out with friends, a really entertaining movie, or what I call a spa day for the soul where I might go on a hike in nature or forest bathing. I believe it is important to end the writing process of traumatic experiences with a reward not only to remind myself that I am a survivor but also to remind myself that this is my story and I deserve the right to tell it.

Pamela Chynn

Staying Hopeful During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented global event that has many people feeling fearful and uncertain about the future. Staying indoors whenever possible is a great way for everyone to do their part in stopping its spread, but this can be an isolating experience.

Maintaining a sense of daily routine is an essential part of staying positive. The temptation to stay in bed and watch the news all day can be tempting, but keeping busy can help us maintain a sense of control over our situation. Getting up and dressed can really help, along with doing daily activities in different areas of the house besides the bedroom. 

Now is the perfect time for people to do the things they have been wanting to do, but never had time to before. Learning a new language, developing a home workout routine, catching up on a reading list are all great ways to take advantage of this time.

Besides taking up a new hobby, or finally starting a project that’s been on the back burner, staying in touch with friends and family by phone, email, social media or video chat are great ways to stay connected with your support system. These bonds are vital in helping to maintain a strong sense of community with those closest to you.

Most importantly, finding the things that provide hope for each of us individually will help all of us to get through this. That hope may come from spirituality for some or community building for others. Hope can come from the smallest things that people are grateful for on a daily basis or larger achievements or goals. All of these ways of finding hope are valid and important for each of us to remember in these trying times.

Maya Ameyaw

Still I Rise - A Blog From InkWell Workshops

InkWell Workshops is a community of writers who meet once a week to improve our craft and share our stories. Over the last four years, we have grown from having a few attendees to reaching our space’s maximum capacity on a weekly basis. Throughout that time, we have had the chance to learn from many talented authors in various genres. What connects us is that we all have lived experience of mental health and/or addiction issues. This blog, Still I Rise, is an opportunity for us to celebrate our community, talk about writing through the lens of mental health, and empower readers who are marginalized.

Still I Rise is a nod to the great American author and poet, Maya Angelou, and her poem of the same name. Those of us who have lived experience with mental health issues know that stigma can be difficult to process along with the life-long journey of recovery. We all have unique stories of adversity, being knocked down and picking ourselves back up, either on our own or with the support of those around us. Continuing to get up, rising to our feet again is not easy, but finding the will to do so and building our community of supporters makes us stronger each time. 

We hope to share our experiences with a wider audience who might relate to what we have been through and are interested in learning more about what InkWell is all about. Stay tuned for posts from InkWell members on a bi-monthly basis. We hope that the strength of our community can serve as inspiration to others struggling out there—to continue to rise to their feet and stand in their power.

Maya Ameyaw

Announcing: Still I Rise

InkWell Workshops is very pleased to announce the development of a new forum for community news and voices, edited by Maya Ameyaw. Stay tuned for our first instalment.

The Still I Rise Podcast is coming soon, check out the trailer:

https://anchor.fm/inkwell-workshops