The Umbran Project

As an African American writer, I’ve noticed several things as I try to submit my own writing to places. There are a limited number of avenues that are specifically targeting African American writers. And of those avenues, it’s clear that many journals are trying to: 1). Make Money 2). Meet Diversity Quotas 3). Continue Furthering the Notion That There is only One Black Aesthetic. Some of us like to write sonnets about flowers and video games. And some of us like to actually tell our stories. Therefore, I’ve decided to try to address this problem head on. Grand Little Things has been successful in showcasing that there are still people writing real poetry, be it formalistic or free verse. However, I haven’t been successful in showcasing a lot of African American writers. This is due to not reaching out to the community. I have to apologize, mostly to the writing public in general, but a little to myself. I was naïve, So. Let me extend a hand. As many of you might have guessed, the name comes from The Umbra Poets. If you don’t know of them, I would recommend Googling them. They skirted the line between “Art for Art’s Sake” and “For The Culture” before it was cool. So. Send me your poems about trees. Send me your poems about Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit”. And send me anything that falls in-between. Thank you. Let’s make some magic!

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2021