The Mindfulness Writer. In my most recent single-authored book, "Black Feminism in Qualitative Inquiry: A Mosaic for Writing Our Daughter's Body", it is more than apparent to any practitioner of mindfulness that this indigenous practice has become a part of my writing process, consciously and subconsciously. I began practicing mindfulness over 10 years ago, when I read the book, "The Power of Now", on a flight to South Africa. At that time, mindfulness was more of an intellectual engagement for me. It simply meant being present and aware in every interaction and moment.

Mindfulness Writing as Ritual Work. Since then, mindfulness has become more of an emotional and spiritual journey for me. As a mindfulness meditation practitioner, mindfulness has created opportunities for me to really see others while truly feeling myself (okay, that sounds weird when I read it, but oh well). In fact, in Black Feminism in Qualitative Inquiry (or BFQI) non-practitioners intuitively pick up on ritualistic tendencies in the book. Many readers have even been moved by my written descriptions of mindfulness in the book, and thoughtfully, reached out to me and asked questions about my mindfulness and meditation practices. So, I did what any cultural worker would do...I created "fieldnotes" (a term borrowed from my book) on my podcast that are dedicated to explaining the process of mindfulness writing. 

Mindfulness Meditation in Writing. The latest podcast series of, "Writing What I Like: Fieldnotes of Black Woman Scholar", addresses mindfulness and meditation in the writing process; the role of writing as a positive coping mechanism; and mindfulness writing as a therapeutic tool. A few questions that I would like for the listener to leave the podcast with are: What is the role of mindfulness writing in processes of resilience and resistance for subjugated people? How might mindfulness help individuals and communities cope with negative emotions? How might mindfulness writing help researchers and other writers contemplate their observations and interpretations of people, social context, and systems of power? How does one approach their own writing process---emotionally and spiritually? Is writing an emotional or spiritual process?

Anyhow, I hope that everyone enjoys listening to my fieldnotes on the podcast and take a moment to leave a comment below, subscribe to the podcast, or email me with further ideas or suggestions for better mindfulness writing or future podcasts. You can find the book, my latest book, "Black Feminism in Qualitative Inquiry" on Amazon.com. 

❣

Peace,

Dr. V 

"Not your mother's therapist, or your brother's life coach."

On its official release date, February 22nd, 2019, my new book, Black Feminism in Qualitative Inquiry: A Mosaic for Writing Our Daughter's Body, came in at #1 in 4 categories on Amazon. ​What an amazing week!

​The first week success of ​"Black feminism in qualitative inquiry" demonstrates that the world yearns for more scholarship on Black women's theorizing.
​
What can readers expect from this book:
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• Conversations on the histories and futures of Black feminism(s)
• Calls for the decolonization of methodologies
• Centering Black girls' and women's ways of knowing and engagement of the social world
• Stories and narrations grounded in a Black onto-epistemology
• Theoretical leanings positioned in Afro-centrism and Pan Africanism​​

​If I might say so myself, in this book, I definitely showed up as a courageous cultural worker!!! The ancestors are proud.

​You may find the text, "Black Feminism in Qualitative Inquiry: A Mosaic for Writing Our Daughter's Body" on Amazon in paperback and Kindle Edition or here. 

Every Black girl, Black woman, Black child, Black family, and Black community that I ever came in contact with were my inspiration for engaging in truth-telling as a methodological imprint. 

Are you enjoying reading the book? Leave your comments below or on Amazon​.

In the struggle for our humanity,

Dr. Venus E. Evans-Winters
"Not your mother's therapist, or your brother's life coach."
​

​Sometimes we forget to SAY THE NAME of our Black women artists whom have been muses to our souls as their lyrics played in the background whilst we crafted our own life stories. One such artist is the almighty Queen Lauryn Hill. 

As Black girls were navigating the unforgiving terrain of adolescence, Lauryn Hill was reaching out to save our lives. Beyond adolescence, she helped so many Black young women survive a world that bastardizes Black femininity and exploits Black girlhood. In the 300 plus page book, "Celebrating Twenty Years of Black Girlhood: The Lauryn Hill Reader", authors showcase Lauryn Hill not only as lyrical genius, but they also demonstrate how Hill raised our racial and gender consciousness. ​Every lyric, outfit, and sound was a freedom cry.

​At at time, when much attention is given to our pain, and necessarily so in order to heal, "The Lauryn Hill Reader" (edited by Drs. Billye Sankofa Waters, Bettina Love, and yours truly, Dr. V) reminds us to unapologetically celebrate vulnerability alongside agency and resistance (as art) as an intellectual stance. This book is right on time for more media attention has recently been given to the exploitation of Black adolescent girls by adult men. 

Nonetheless, alongside Black girl pain we have artists like the almighty Queen Lauryn Hill and the authors' narratives and articulations in "Celebrating Twenty Years of Black Girlhood: The Lauryn Hill Reader" reminding us of Black girl joy as a site of resistance. Let's lift up our women hip hop and R&B artists' names who help us persist and resist in the face of patriarchy, racial oppression, and class exploitation. A hip hop feminist consciousness brings the balance needed in using art and story to heal trauma. 

In the struggle for our humanity,
​
Dr. Venus Evans-Winters
"Not your mother's therapist, or your brother's life coach."