Welcome to our first SOTY newsletter!
Through this newsletter, we will share program and event details, along with a monthly column. To read featured works from our events, please visit and subscribe to our Substack. We are currently featuring the Community Poem from our March Tongues Of Fire Workshop, held at the 2026 Cowboy Sunday X Folk Fest.
The Team behind the sisters of the yam Writing Society
As the Founder, I am honored to oversee the daily operations, programming, and organizational development of the sisters of the yam Writing Society; however, this work is not done in isolation. We are grounded in a collaborative and emergent approach that centers the collective, honors interdependence, and remains responsive to what is unfolding. We meet monthly-ish, and with their insight, expertise, and commitment, the organization continues to grow with integrity and intention.
Program Offerings for April 2026
Sweet Communion Write-Ins are taking place every Wednesday this month at HPL Looscan Library, and on the 2nd Sunday, April 12th, at The Reading Room. Our Write-Ins are designed for writers to bring their own material and work independently within a writing group, using the Pomodoro technique to create focused intervals with short breaks. This fosters both productivity and community; it’s a simple magic trick for reaching your writing goals. Please register in advance! This helps us know how many chairs and writing spaces to set up.
SOTY Field Trip – On Saturday, April 11th, we will visit the current exhibition Black Ink: The Black Arts Movement in Print at the University of Houston MD Anderson Library. After moving through the collection, we will gather in reflection and writing, drawing from the legacy of Black artists, poets, and thinkers who used language as a tool for expression, resistance, and cultural preservation. This event is at capacity, but we have opened up a waiting list.
Tongues of Fire Writers Workshop – On Sunday, April 19th, we are partnering with multimedia artist Danielle Mason’s Womb Speak for a workshop on epistolary writing with a focus on speculative fiction. Held at her Round 60 Project Row House, this is both a creative writing and craft-based experience. This experience is guaranteed to be reflective and explorative, and will definitely expand your writing portfolio. This event is almost at capacity. Register today! Womb Speak is funded in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.
Dreaming Ourselves Dark and Deep Writing Retreat. On Sunday, April 25th, as part of our inaugural 2026 Spring retreat series in partnership with The Black Woman Project, we will explore the theme “Embodiment” through the critical text Black Chameleon: Memory, Womanhood, and Myth by Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton. Our guest lecturer, Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton herself, will guide us in using the connections between body, memory, and myth to assess the internal and external environments of the feminine body. These experiences are designed to be impactful, offering five hours of cultural grounding, extended creative time, and collective restoration. The cost is $60, which covers materials, beverages, and lunch. Please join us—bring a friend! We are seeking corporate sponsorships for this event. If interested, please email [email protected].
As a reminder, our events are open to the public, and our programs will always prioritize and center the needs of Black women and femmes. Official membership will begin in 2027. In the meantime, we are focused on designing and delivering exceptional programs and opportunities for writers to be in community, To See and Be Seen.
And yes, you are a writer too :)
Support our growth by contributing to our foundation-building donation campaign. Donations sustain active programming, provide honoraria to facilitators, cover essential supplies, and support legal and administrative infrastructure, including 501(c)(3) filing.
With gratitude and joy,
Dr. Bernard
