Born of fire-red rebellion and a necessity for, particularly, Black and Brown women to tell their own stories, Torch Literary Arts is an organization that continues to be the ultimate safe space for poets and lovers of words. The 2024 Torch Fellowship program nurtured and spotlit eight creative writers of varying backgrounds and levels of experience, gifting them time, resources, and community to start working on something new and/or to get guidance about a work in progress. Elizabeth Brown, Destiny Hemphill, Meredith L. King, DW McKinney, Deborah D.E.E.P Mouton, Esther Ifesinachi Okonkwo, Sandra Jackson-Opoku, and m. mick powell will read from those works in progress at the free event, which includes reception with bites from Mashae’s Catering. (Suggested donation of $15). – Cy White