Black Girl Dreaming
How Do You Measure Success?
Yerrrr…real talk, how is it already the end of August? Where did the time go? What have I even done the last several months….let alone this summer? Let’s get into it!
Welcome Back to Black Girl Dreaming.
A newsletter where I share notes on life, lessons learned, my big ole Black girl dreams, and my quest to conquer all of the things. I am excited to have you all here with me on this journey. If there’s anything you’d like me to discuss, feel free to drop me a line, or hit me up in the comments section. As always, thanks for reading!
HOW DO YOU MEASURE SUCCESS?
Now that we are officially well into the second half of 2021, I’ve been reviewing my goals I set for myself this year. I’m happy to report that I’ve accomplished several of them. It has me wondering, how people measure success though. I measure success using different buckets so I’m always adjusting what success looks and feels like. I think it’s important to have a sliding scale when you are trying to celebrate your wins and evaluate your losses. I'm the type of person that likes to hang in the background, I don’t like to be in the spotlight. But you know, it is hella cool to be in the spotlight, and as an author and the face of a brand, The Bronx is Reading, it’s something I’ve had to get used to. So even though we’re living through scary, uncertain, times, I’m very pleased with all of the dope sh*t that’s happened this year so far. I have so many other goals I want to check off my list before the end of the year, three major ones include launching a crowdfund to bring a children’s and general interest bookstore to the Bronx (sign up for our crowdfund newsletter for forthcoming deets!), sheltering Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed into the world this November (nah you read that right, publication has moved out of September (pour one out for the homie!), and to sell another book!!
WILD TONGUES CAN’T BE TAMED UPDATES
I received advance reader copies (ARCs) of my forthcoming anthology, Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed earlier this summer! I’m so excited about this wonderful book that I’m hosting a giveaway! All you have to do is follow me on Instagram + TikTok @sj_fennell and comment #HonduranWritersMatter. That’s it - real simple, right? Open to US and International readers as well. I’m so hyped to have these beauties. Stay tuned for future giveaway opportunities via this newsletter and check out my unboxing on TikTok and Instagram.
Wild Tongues was announced as a Kids’ Indie Next Pick for September/October - which OMG I am over-the-moon about and will always cherish that nomination until the day I die (okay, I’m over exaggerating but still, I’m so happy!). But, in bittersweet news, shortly after I discovered that it was an Indie Next Pick (a coveted spot I might add), I was informed that the publication date needed to move to November 2. It’s what was best for the book, so ya know it is what it is. Just happy to have so many folks out in these streets supporting not one, but 15 Latinx writers from the diaspora including Black, Indigenous, and Queer writers. Just warms my heart.
OWNING UP TO YOUR MISTAKES, EVEN WHEN IT SUCKS
Yoooo. Have you ever made a mistake and tried to cover it up? Yeah, I know we’ve all been there, done that. I’ve made plenty mistakes in my life, but I have found that it’s just better to own up to it. Past Recie (like teenage, college aged me) did dumb stuff to hide my flub ups, and you know what I realized? Lying to cover up the lies I told to sweep my mistakes under the rug, was exhausting, time consuming, and not the best for my brainspace. Owning up to mistakes, whether teeny tiny ones or major derailment type of mistakes is better for you, and the other parties involved. It’s kinder on my mental health, and makes me less anxious. Letting things fester and loom over me is not the wave, especially not during a Global pandemic (I have other sh*t to worry about, like keeping family members alive and healthy). All I can do is apologize, and figure out a path forward, because no matter what, there’s always a path forward, even when it’s hard to see it. I think some people make mistakes and just don’t even care about the consequences, and that’s not what I’m saying to do here. You should care about the consequences, you should care about the lessons you’ve learned. Most importantly, you should evaluate your flub ups, how did they happen, why did it happen? Is it something that could’ve been prevented? Once you answer these questions you’ll find a way to grow as an individual. Plus, I think there’s something really cool about people who own up and face their mistakes head-on. Those are the kind of people I feel I can trust. People who lie to cover up stuff or throw blame for their mistakes on others really is telling. Just food for thought….
WHAT I’M UP TO THESE DAYS
Book mail! Ya girl is finally out of that pesky pandemic reading slump. I just received a copy of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova, White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson, and Monsters in the Middle by Tiphanie Yanique. I’m looking forward to diving in soon.
Binging Black Summer and Flack
That’s all for now folks, follow me on social media for updates, even though I’m kinda on hiatus, I pop online every now and again.