One of our promises when we started Seven Scribes was to work to put together print editions of collections of work that go deeper than our website can. We wanted to be able to feature our diverse community of writers in as many ways as possible and in genres and formats outside of our essay and reporting focus online, and the idea of self-publishing print editions or anthologies has always been as exciting aspiration within that goal. To that end, last year we put out a call for ten short stories to be featured in our first anthology, titled Beyond Ourselves. As a startup, we expected to have to really hit the pavement looking for ten stories that met our standards of excellence. But to our surprise, we received almost 100 submissions totaling in hundreds of thousands of words, with stories deep and rich and from a field as writers as diverse in the world in which we lived. Frankly, we were overwhelmed. That’s a lot for six editors with day jobs, especially when there are some … other important stories happening in journalism and American culture.
But with the help of Daniel José Older and Kiese Laymon, two of our role models, with the beautiful artwork from our longtime collaborator Ian Moore, with the help of Blurb.com, and armed with ten incredible and mind-bending stories, that book found a way to happen. This month is Black History Month, and we think there’s no better time to share such a brilliant work from so many writers of color. What you will find in Beyond Ourselves is a collection of stories that change the way you think, not only about fiction, but about your own lives. In the tradition of the ancestors, we believe this anthology heals through storytelling. So please, support our black business and support these amazing writers. Buy a copy for yourself and one for your mama! You won’t be disappointed.
