2020 marked The Carolina African American Writers' Collective's 25th anniversary.

In May, we talked to them about their anthology "All the Songs We Sing" from
@BlairPublisher
with CAAWC founder and poet Lenard D. Moore, plus writers
@bridgettealacy
+
@abelcherepps
.

"I'd get feedback: what about this, what about a little more of that. It's that constructive criticism—always given with love —that really helps."

@bridgettealacy
talks about how the CAAWC provided a safe critique setting for writers like her.

"We meander as fiction writers...but with the poet they will take an entire slice of life and filter it down to eight lines."

@abelcherepps
says that she edits "with poets on her shoulder" since being part of the CAAWC. That internal voice helps keep her writing crisp.

"I tried to have works that are in conversation with one another and carried some kind of rhythm."

Lenard Moore gathered works from the CAAWC to tell African American stories of the South and NC. They are featured in the anthology "All the Songs We Sing" from
@BlairPublisher
.