Date: Sat, 26 Oct 1996 01:35:16 -0700 From: StreetWrites Subject: INTRO: Anitra L. Freeman What do you need to know so that you're talking with a person here? I have a totally irreverent sense of humor, but I don't believe in being gratuitously offensive. If you see "WARNING: CONTAINS SATIRE" at the top of one of my posts - believe it! I am college-educated, with 20 years experience playing with computer software and mostly being paid for it. But I value what is said from the heart, even in bad grammar and worse spelling, over what is well-written and empty. I'm currently living on disability and spending most of my time doing volunteer work and writing. I spent several months homeless last year, as a result of untreated manic-depression. My universe got wider, both because I finally got diagnosed and treated, and because I came to know an "invisible" part of humanity. My writing made a quantum jump; I also do "performance poetry" and public speaking. I am doing the Artist's Way for the second time. I am always looking for different things to try in writing, so that I keep growing. I am also on a poetry email list and a writing workshop list called "writelab". I *LIKE* being critiqued! I am in earnest about improving my skills, and always looking for feedback to do that. Don't worry about upsetting me. I've noticed that criticism only stings in an area I'm insecure about, and I'm basically secure about my writing. I turned forty-seventeen this last July 17th. I also facilitate a local writing workshop for homeless and low-income writers, called StreetWrites. To me, creativity = spirit = who we really are. Helping someone get their own creativity going and open up their own voice is the most important thing in the world to me. If you'd like to know more, you're welcome to visit my "home" at http://www.speakeasy.org/~anitra I'll post a sample poem and short story. Then I'm going to start sifting through all this mail for something I can contribute on. Write On! Anitra ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- There is no truth that cannot be turned into a lie by simply taking it a little too seriously. - Anitra L. Freeman anitra@speakeasy.org http://www.speakeasy.org/~anitra thalia@speakeasy.org http://www.speakeasy.org/~thalia