Books, Words, Information, Power
by Lisa A Kramer, in Creativity
, Arts and Social Justices
, Writing
In 2014, I published my first book, a piece of speculative fiction called P.O.W.er.
It tells the story of a young women living in a despotic culture where women are not allowed to read or write, and their required purpose is to marry young and make babies. However, Andra BetScriviner has other ideas when she discovers she has the ability to write things into reality, and that many women have unique abilities.
Her friends, including supportive men and people of diverse backgrounds come together to change society.
The leader of this country called New North (which in my mind was New England) was a horrible, greedy, ambitious man who believed he was the eye of god and had divine right to rule.
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In 2016, I felt like I should apologize to the world. Don't get me wrong, I am very proud of the book and its empowering message, but we had entered into a reality that sounded a little too familiar.
I know, my words did not make this reality happen. It was the result of the systemic brokenness, racism, and greed in our country. The book is purely fiction, with a magical super power touch. I love writing things like that.
The next fiction I hope to publish is told through the narrative voice of the coffee shop in which it takes place. Yes, a magical, empathetic coffee shop that reads the minds and emotions of the humans within it, and can communicate with it's owner.
Some of the more negative comments I received about P.O.W.er (there aren't that many so far) included things like:
With yesterday's news from Missouri, I realized a few things we all need to really understand:
It tells the story of a young women living in a despotic culture where women are not allowed to read or write, and their required purpose is to marry young and make babies. However, Andra BetScriviner has other ideas when she discovers she has the ability to write things into reality, and that many women have unique abilities.
Her friends, including supportive men and people of diverse backgrounds come together to change society.
The leader of this country called New North (which in my mind was New England) was a horrible, greedy, ambitious man who believed he was the eye of god and had divine right to rule.
In 2016, I felt like I should apologize to the world. Don't get me wrong, I am very proud of the book and its empowering message, but we had entered into a reality that sounded a little too familiar.
I know, my words did not make this reality happen. It was the result of the systemic brokenness, racism, and greed in our country. The book is purely fiction, with a magical super power touch. I love writing things like that.
The next fiction I hope to publish is told through the narrative voice of the coffee shop in which it takes place. Yes, a magical, empathetic coffee shop that reads the minds and emotions of the humans within it, and can communicate with it's owner.
Some of the more negative comments I received about P.O.W.er (there aren't that many so far) included things like:
- This couldn't possibly happen, nobody would control women that way.
- The whole eye of god thing is weird.
With yesterday's news from Missouri, I realized a few things we all need to really understand:
Knowledge is power.
Books and words have power.
Information is power.
Libraries share power.
Creative acts spread power.
Collaborative effort changes the world.
Books and words have power.
Information is power.
Libraries share power.
Creative acts spread power.
Collaborative effort changes the world.
For a long time now, our power has been slowly stripped away. Because we have been told our voices don't matter, our ideas don't matter, our creativity is unimportant, and our dreams are worthless. Well, I'm done with that.
If I had the money, I would gift it to the Missouri library system, saying "It's yours to use to empower others, no strings attached."
If I had the money, I would create a system where students and parents could request specific banned books, and receive them in brown paper packages for little to no cost.
If I had the money, I would run workshops across the country intended to inspire people to access and strengthen their creative powers and use their ideas to fight against the brokennes in our world.
Unfortunately, I don't have the money, but I do have my voice. Let's raise our voices together.
If I had the money, I would gift it to the Missouri library system, saying "It's yours to use to empower others, no strings attached."
If I had the money, I would create a system where students and parents could request specific banned books, and receive them in brown paper packages for little to no cost.
If I had the money, I would run workshops across the country intended to inspire people to access and strengthen their creative powers and use their ideas to fight against the brokennes in our world.
Unfortunately, I don't have the money, but I do have my voice. Let's raise our voices together.
