Journalism is Dead, Long Live Poetry Daily writing prompt Scour the news for an entirely uninteresting story. Consider how it connects to your life. Write about that. View all responses Hmmm. An uninteresting news story. This is harder than it sounds. Journalists don’t usually set out to write something boring—especially not in the age of clickbait and constant digital engagement. News on the internet is engineered to grab attention, not lull you to sleep.

Tried to find an uninteresting news story—ended up questioning the state of journalism itself. When headlines numb us and truth gets buried, maybe it’s poets who’ll carry the torch. New reflection + Audre Lorde tribute on the blog.

#ThisSideOfTheApple #PoetryIsNotALuxury #MediaCritique #AudreLorde

A Rose by Another Name Isn’t the Same, Shakespeare! Daily writing prompt What's the story behind your nickname? View all responses My name, nor my personality, never lent itself to a nickname. But it’s always lent itself to mispronunciation. Starting in Kindergarten, I learned that on the first day of school, when the teacher took roll, a ghost letter r would nudge its way between the d and the…

What’s in a name? A whole lot, actually. Especially when folks keep mishearing yours. This reflection touches on ghost letters, missed pop culture cues, and the quiet audacity of renaming others. A call to listen better. #blackwriter #writing #ThisSideOfTheApple #PromptResponses #Essay

Where to Next? Daily writing prompt What are your future travel plans? View all responses The world is a big place. There are so many choices of places to go. I'm not great when there's an overabundance of options from which to choose. I get overwhelmed. When we had dogs, every trip to the pet store resulted in me lamenting about how unnecessary it is to have such a tremendous variety of freaking dog food!

Travel planning isn’t just about where you’re going—it’s about how it shapes you on the way there. From Bayliner dreams to Hawaiian breezes to a poem that hits different, here’s a reminder to experience your experiences.
#travelwriting #Cavafy #poetry #vss365 #ThisSideOfTheApple #blackwriters

Sonic Survival Daily writing prompt What do you listen to while you work? View all responses It really depends on my mood, what I’m doing, and what’s going on in the music world. When I say what’s going on in the music world, I mean things like Beyoncé dropping another album or another Kendrick vs. Drake beef lighting up the culture.

What do Beyoncé, Kendrick, and Erykah Badu have in common? They’re all part of the sonic survival kit that gets me through work, chaos, and the occasional existential spiral. If music keeps your head above water too, you’ll feel this.
#music #focus #Beyonce #hiphop #ThisSideOfTheApple #writing

Kiss My Grits, With Love Daily writing prompt What’s your go-to comfort food? View all responses My go-to comfort food falls in the breakfast category. It's a meal I looked forward to as a child, especially on Saturdays. Rooted in my Southern background, it consists of homemade grits, eggs, bacon, and toast, with a side of Tabasco sauce. I have to specify “homemade” when I talk about grits, because when I was growing up, you just didn’t eat grits from a restaurant—at least not in California.

Homemade grits, bacon, and childhood Saturdays—this one’s for anyone who knows comfort starts in the kitchen. Come for the food, stay for the memories.
#comfortfood #grits #southernbreakfast #nostalgia #foodmemory #blackwriters #ThisSideOfTheApple #writingprompt #breakfastlove

Cooking Up Love Daily writing prompt What foods would you like to make? View all responses I think we all just want to make food that people love. Nothing thrills me more than when my husband takes a bite of something I’ve made, lets out a heavy sigh, and says, “This is so good, baby. Thank you.” And when he makes something for me—like our afternoon Greek yogurt parfait with fresh-cut strawberries, blueberries, almonds, flaxseed, and honey—I take a bite, let the goodness fill my mouth, and have to tell him how much better his is than mine.

Food creates connection. From homemade parfaits to neighborly mac & cheese showdowns to Meghan’s lemon cake, it’s all about love, memory, &meaning. Accompanied by Joy Harjo’s “Perhaps the World Ends Here,” this reflection is a sweet bite of shared humanity.
#ThisSideOfTheApple #writingprompt #food

Wisdom in Not Knowing Daily writing prompt List 10 things you know to be absolutely certain. View all responses Nothing stays the same. Everything shifts eventually. The only constant is change. Time moves things along. What was isn’t always what is. Change happens even when we don’t see it. We are different from moment to moment. The more things change the more they stay the same.

What do we really know for sure? A short list, some Socratic wisdom, and a meandering thought on chaos, certainty, and the rough beast slouching toward Bethlehem.

#writingcommunity #blackwriters #philosophy #Yeats #vss365 #essayist #thissideoftheapple #thoughtfulwriting #Socrates

Untitled Daily writing prompt What time do you go to bed and wake up currently? View all responses As that ancient saying goes, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” This time of year, since the sun is early to rise and late to bed, I’m matching that energy. I’ve been looking forward to these long, summer sun-filled days for what feels like forever.

A love story told through long summer days, wild vacation rides, and a poem that reminds us joy lives in small moments. I didn’t answer the prompt exactly—but maybe I did.
#vss365 #wordart #poetry #writing #blacksky #writingprompt #writer #ThisSideOfTheApple #JamesWright #ABlessing

Butterflies and Bricks Daily writing prompt What could you let go of, for the sake of harmony? View all responses It depends on what kind of harmony we're talking about—harmony within or with others. In order to have harmony with others there has to be more shared values than not. However, if the devaluation of the lives and freedoms of others is in your wheelhouse, then I'll back out and quietly close the door.

Letting go isn’t weakness—it’s knowing what’s no longer yours to carry. Mary Oliver said it best: “One day you finally knew what you had to do…” I’m choosing peace. I’m choosing me. #writingprompt #maryoliver #harmony #reflection #blackwriters #thissideoftheapple #poetry

May I Hold Your Hand Daily writing prompt What's your definition of romantic? View all responses May I hold your handas we ride to CostcoWhile the oldies stationsends us back to our youth May I hold your handas we get in 10,000 stepsSo we can take a million more May I hold your handand bring it to my lips…

Sometimes love sounds like oldies on the radio and feels like 10,000 steps side by side. A poem about everyday tenderness, the beauty in asking, and the hands we never want to let go of. #writingprompt #blksky #poetry #ThisSideOfTheApple #blacklove #amwriting #loveinrealtime

A Name I Still Know Daily writing prompt What makes a teacher great? View all responses Shout out to Mr. Allen Buckingham, my 4th and 5th grade teacher at Allendale Elementary in Oakland, California. From him, I learned my multiplication facts, how city commerce worked, the realities of racism, and the meaning of discipline. I’m sure there’s more, but those are the ones that stick.

Not every teacher stays with you—but some do. Years later, you still remember the lessons, the voice, the way they made learning feel possible.

#writingprompt #blksky #bluesky #teacherstories #blackcreatives #classroommemories #thissideoftheapple #amwriting

Sinking Into Joy Daily writing prompt What's one small improvement you can make in your life? View all responses One small improvement I can make in my life is to enjoy being happy without worrying about the thing down the road coming to tear my happiness to pieces. I’ve lived in that mode for so long. It’s like an old coat I didn’t notice had holes in it.

Learning to let joy linger without fear is its own quiet revolution. In this reflection, I explore what it means to be happy after years of waiting for the fall. Read the full piece and let yourself sink into the moment too. #healing #joy #blackwriters #thissideoftheapple #promptresponses