In
How long has the National Writing Association been in existence?
It was founded in 1996 by Hal Adams, Deborah Epstein and Sunny Fischer, and grew out of JOT, [which was] founded by Hal Adams in 1991. From 1991 to 1995, JOT was sponsored by the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. JOT has won the Illinois Arts Council Literary Award twice. The Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune listed a play adapted by the Chicago Theater Company from work published in JOT among the top 10 plays of 1999.
What motivated you guys to compile the anthology, Journal of Ordinary Thought?
The reason we compiled the anthology was because we wanted to give other people a wonderful opportunity to express themselves as far as their environmental surroundings were concerned. After all, the theme of it was for the writers to tell the world what it is like to grow up in a certain residence where survival is mandatory and failure is not an option. Besides, we have a motto that everyone follows: ‘Everyone is a philosopher.’
What does poetry mean to the group?
Poetry means to express yourself in the best form you can possibly think of. … We believe that poetry helps people understand other people’s culture and feelings …
What does the future hold for the Neighborhood Writing Alliance group?
We are expecting to see an increase [in the number] of people [who] attend as well as partake in our workshops. We believe that when people come out and express their talent; it lets us know that we’re doing the right thing when it comes to our community.
