Grant Writer for Hire

A sample from a grant for a literary institution

White Americans hold the reigns of the publishing industry resulting in overrepresentation of whiteness in literary communities everywhere. According to a study conducted by Richard So and Gus Wezerek of the New York Times, 95% of books published in the USA between 1950 and 2018 were written by white people (2020). Resourcing for a diverse network of writers and readers is paramount to the health of Seattle's literary community as well as crucial to the learning experiences of community members. Calls for change ring out from historically marginalized populations and the need for inclusion is vital to many who have been kept out. Literacy is hallmarked as the cornerstone of education but withheld from too many, especially Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Self-expression is revealed as a healing process, but many remain without access.

The Seattle literary community needs to establish a renewed focus on inclusion and antiracism. In the summer of 2021, Elizabeth A. Harris of The New York Times wrote in her article, In Literary Organizations, Diversity Disputes Keep Coming that literary institutions across the country are working to respond to a greater call of inclusion. Harris cites the resignation of The Poetry Foundation's president over a weak response to Black Lives Matter protests. She then goes on to explain how the American Booksellers Association needed to apologize for the egregious oversight of mistakenly using the wrong book cover to promote a book called Blackout, a young adult novel about Black teenagers in love. When a book of the same title by a right wing media mogul was accidentally placed in promotional materials, the error was rightly met with an outcry. These instances and more are indicative of the swelling movement for literary institutions to extinguish the white supremacy that has dominated the industry for too long.

Literary arts are the cornerstone to community building and empathy, as well as the key element to a well-rounded education. In Review of a Complete Education, Beth Warren (2010) links low levels of literacy with high levels of drop-out rates. Without a baseline of reading and writing there is not much to build on and, as public schools remain underfunded, the arts and humanities suffer.

Literacy, however, is not simply a building block. Studies show that people who write about their experiences exhibit improvements in their health and wellness. According to Heather Stuckey and Jeremy Nobel (2009) in their review, The Connection Between Art, Healing, and Public Health, writing has the effect of long term healing when it comes to recording or fictionalizing upsetting experiences. Additionally, reading and understanding other people's stories, traumas, and perspectives helps a community bond and encourages individuals to grow. Inclusion in basic education as well as health and wellness through self-expression benefits all community members and this pressing need is a crucial one for literary institutions to understand.