Do what you can: that’s the motto.
What did Brian Oliu do when a tornado ripped through his town? Among many, many other things, he put out a call for writing. As a writer himself, he turned to the writers he has known that have lived in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and asked them to contribute to an eBook of writing about that place. He wanted to distribute the eBook in order to raise awareness and encourage people to donate to relief efforts.
Did he do it as a substitute for volunteering? No he did not. He did it as a supplement to all the hard work that so many people are contributing to the immediate and long-term recovery effort needed in Tuscaloosa. He did it to add to the overall push to rebuild.
And what he gathered is a gorgeous anthology in encomium to a place like no other. The heralds are prize-winning writers, editors of independent presses, widely published poets, and even a few newcomers. (Full disclaimer: I have a short nonfiction piece anthologized, though I would promote this project regardless.) As Brian himself says, “if you have picked up a literary magazine or read one online in the past couple of months you have undoubtedly come across one or more of the names in this anthology.” Furthermore, you can download or read this eBook online for free. But the hope is that you’ll donate something, any amount you can or are willing, in exchange for this testament that is being offered to the strange treasures that can be found in T-Town.
In recent years I have seen countless attacks on the arts, on the humanities, on universities—I have heard people ask, with sincerity, whether fields like creative writing serve any practical purpose. I think this is a resounding answer. People will write, with or without compensation, just as people will continue to read. But here we see that writers will also use their talents in unlikely ways—in service to social needs. They will give—in addition to their money, their time, their bodies, & their hearts—their art to help those in need. Like lawyers working pro bono, nurses volunteering their services, laborers doing construction & demolition, like everyone volunteering, we do what we can. Like this, we rebuild.
I’d like to thank Brian for his work, along with all the contributors. I am proud to be a part of this project.
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