Writing is a technique that people have used to help express themselves and to communicate with other people for centuries now.
On Oct. 20, we celebrate the National Day on Writing. This day was created 11 years ago when the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) decided that writing was an important worldwide skill, but one that often gets brushed under the rug.
The NCTE has been encouraging people to use the hashtag #WhyIWrite to help raise awareness about the importance of writing and to help people share their voice about topics they’re most passionate about.
Several schools and colleges across the nation are participating in the National Day on Writing, with one of those colleges being Sinclair.
On Oct. 20, Sinclair’s English Dept. are hosting a variety of events in honor of National Day of Writing.
Starting at 11 a.m. the English Department Chair will begin on Zoom, welcoming students and discussing different major options Sinclair provides in their department.
Starting at noon, Sinclair Poet Laureate Amanda Hayden will be hosting a live zoom poetry workshop and will be looking at a specific poem written for Fall Conference (“Learning a Manual”) and discussing and breaking down the imagery and idea that the poem holds.
Afterwards at 1 p.m., Sinclair’s English professor Jamey Dunham will hold a live open mic session over Zoom where you can participate in an interactive online writing project and read your own writing aloud; whether it be a poem, fiction, or nonfiction. Students are encouraged to keep the piece under five minutes, so all students have time to share their work.
After the previous events end, enjoy a virtual reading by some of the outstanding contributors to Sinclair’s celebrated literary journal Flights. This magazine is produced annually and has a combination poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, although in some cases you can do outside genres.
We often overlook how important writing is, but it is how we learn, teach, and communicate on a wide scale, especially in today’s world. It is important we recognize writing’s importance to literacy and how it affects our daily lives.
For more info about Sinclair celebrating National Day on Writing visit: https://sites.google.com/view/sinclairndow2021/home.
And to find more about Nation Day of Writing check out: https://nationaltoday.com/national-day-on-writing/.
Marquie Peyton
Intern