At the Writing Center, we have the honor to be privy to the work of the next generation of artists and thinkers. Every month, JBWC Youth Ambassadors will be selecting three creations by writers involved with the Writing Center. Enjoy!
In their own words, JBWC Youth Ambassadors Abuk & Theo share their thoughts on the LeRoi: Living in Color collaboration, currently on view at Burchfield Penney Art Center.
For the past year, JBWC writers, along with young artists from Buffalo Center for Art and Technology, Squeaky Wheel Film and Media Art Center and the Buffalo Public Schools, have been taking part in a community arts collaboration inspired by artist LeRoi Johnson’s exhibit currently on view at Burchfield Penney Art Center, LeRoi: Living in Color.
Omar El Akkad is an Egyptian-born author and journalist. He has reported on current events in places all over the world, including Guantanamo Bay and Afghanistan. This Thursday, November 10th, he will be participating in the BABEL author series at Kleinhans Music Hall. His featured book, What Strange Paradise, tells the story of 9-year-old Amir, an immigrant boy who washed up on a small island after the overcrowded ship he left home on tragically sank. Through his novel, El Akkad depicts the unfortunate harshness of the immigrant process, and the world at large, through the eyes of a child. Below is a list of local organizations that strive to make the immigrant experience in WNY a little easier.
Environmental journalist Elizabeth Kolbert visits Buffalo on Friday, October 14th for a BABEL author talk at Kleinhans Music Hall. Kolbert's research and writing on species extinction is fascinating, terrifying, and absolutely necessary as we face the realities of climate change. But how do we move forward with this knowledge? How do we turn away from despair and toward action? Look to the people in our own Buffalo & Western New York community working towards environmental justice!
Local bookstores are more than a business—they are tiny pockets of culture, reflecting the neighborhoods they reside in and acting as places of true community and artistic exchange. Bookstores are where we go to find the next book that will rock our world or change our perspective, and they are great places to find like-minded bibliophiles to connect with. But don’t take our word for it—we asked Buffalo's booksellers why it's important to support indie bookstores, and here’s what some them had to say!
Looking back on a Spring 2022 collaboration with AK Teens, in which JBWC young writers collaborated with the AK Teens Museum Ambassadors to create a collaborative zine, titled Here's Where I Make A Little Space For You, in response to their exhibit In These Truths, which features work by Black cultural producers.
Poet & dream-deliverer Mathias Svalina returns to Buffalo this month! In addition to writing & delivering daily dreams to Buffalonians through Dream Delivery Service, we're excited to partner with Svalina & friends for a number of public events between mid-May and mid-June.
Hope Blooms From Shattered Roots is a digital collection of writings presented by Just Buffalo Writing Center in connection to The Civil Writes Project (2021), featuring work by young writers and artists living in WNY. Just as the journey towards justice must be a collective effort, this collection features collaborations between young artists and activists from a variety of organizations and projects around the city, and beyond. Editors: Richie Wills & Robin Jordan Book Designer: Mathieu Liu
After a year of sheltering in place, LIT CITY is on the move. Just Buffalo Literary Center invites Western New Yorkers of all ages to tell us: What Moves You? Write a poem or piece of short prose that speaks to the power of words to move you. Just Buffalo Literary Center is partnering with the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) to share our love of words with the wider community. Select pieces will be featured on sidewalks, bus shelters, subways, and maybe even a bus or two! Let’s cover this LIT CITY in words—your words. The call for submissions has now closed. Thank you to all who submitted!