Black Writers Unmasked

Folio and the African American Writers' Alliance celebrate Juneteenth with readings from the recently published  Black Writers Unmasked, an anthology of poems, short stories, and essays showcasing the work of members of the Pacific Northwest's African-American Writers' Alliance. Enjoy readings from authors Noni Ervin, Georgia S. McDade and Lola E. Peters.

Noni Ervin is practically a Pacific Northwest native. Her parents moved to the Greater Seattle area when she was a baby and as a young student, she found success in writing. It wasn’t until adulthood that the enjoyment of writing began and her first publication was born. Verbatim: Living, Loving, Surviving was necessary because everyone has a story to tell, and she has committed her actions in life to speak up for those who have no voice or who cannot speak up for themselves. In fact, this passion is how the Kinara Park Kids ® mini-series was created. It was an effort to create positive images of young Black / African-American children by incorporating the seven principles of Kwanzaa. We want our young people to see positive images of themselves. Write daily.

Georgia Stewart McDade loves reading and writing. She grew up writing and producing plays for the youngsters in her neighborhood and collaborated with church youth to write plays for special occasions. As a charter member of the African-American Writers’ Alliance, she began reading her stories in public in 1991. She credits the group with making her write poetry. For a number of years, she has written poems inspired by artists at such sites as Gallery 110, Seattle Art Museum, Columbia City Gallery, and Onyx Fine Arts Collective. For several years Georgia wrote for Pacific Newspapers, especially the South District Journal. Today she reports for South Seattle Emerald and Leschinews and does interviews for community radio stations KBCS (91.3 FM) and KVRU (105.7) as she continues working on two biographies and poetry.  

Lola E. Peters is an essayist and poet living in Seattle, WA. She serves as Editor-at-large for the South Seattle Emerald and has written articles for several publications including The Seattle Star and Crosscut. She writes essays to clear her mind and poetry to cleanse her soul. Her commitment to creating a just and equitable world forms the underpinning of her writing. Her poems have been published in multiple anthologies as well as her own two collections. In addition to her published poems, she has written commentary for and edited several online journals and newsletters. She also served as managing editor of a national newsletter for social justice activists.