My New Righting Group Book

Y’all, I’ve been so busy getting my new book into the hands of folks who can use it, I haven’t stopped long enough to tell you about it.

Most of y’all know for 8 years I was part of a weekly writing group of Memphians who had personally experienced homelessness. We wrote; we held public readings; we hosted full-day writing retreats; we published an online zine; finally, the writers wrote a book, and I edited it (Writing Our Way Home: A Group Journey Out of Homelessness (Triton Press, 2014)). That experience taught me the power of ordinary folks coming together to write what was on their hearts or in their heads.

Late last year, I was inspired to put what I had learned into a simple “how to” manual on conducting writing groups the way we did at the Door of Hope (you will have to read the book to see what the inspiration was.) I took the principles and made them universal for anyone searching for new ways to form community.

I’ve been making the book available to folks I know who might be able to use it in the work they’re doing in the world. I have been buoyed—buoyed, I’m saying—by the response. Folks hold the book in their hands, and I can see it on their faces: ideas on how to use it pop in their brains.

We R Righting Group: A Pocket Guide to Writing in Groups…And Righting the World is the result. Retirees and students, veterans and cancer survivors, those experiencing homelessness and corporate board members—anyone can use the one-hour writing gatherings in We R Righting Group to better understand themselves and others. The book comes complete with loads of writing prompts to get you started, and not one bit of grammar!

It’s all about the pencils.

Not really. But I bet they help.

If you might be able to use the book in whatever good you are doing in the world, pick one up on Amazon. If you are a writer, will you please give particular consideration to taking a look at it? So many folks are afraid of writing. We aren’t (it’s our secret superpower). We R Righting Group is a simple way to give your gift of writing to the rest of the world.

ps If you buy a book, leave a review. Let the world know what you think about the power of writing to change the world. As Elvis would say, thank you. Thank you very much.