One of the joys of blogging is the unexpected email and blog comments that come my way, leading me to enriching new discoveries.  The other day I became acquainted with Gabrielle David and a provocative array of initiatives flowing from the Intercultural Alliance of Artists and Scholars [IAAS].  Looking through the various activities associated with IAAS, I was reminded about the role and power of literature in our communities, something I fear we often forget in the tumult of modern-day life.

While based in New York, Gabrielle and the IAAS initiatives reach far beyond the city.  There’s a website called phati’tude [just relaunched], literary magazine, TV programming, book reviews, lots of poetry and more.  All of it with a strong community and multi-cultural thrust.  Here’s how this group descibes itself:

“While phati’tude has mutated into a myriad of initiatives, our goal remains the same: to reach the broadest audience possible by collaborating with artists, scholars and community organizations to advance the art of writing as essential to a good education and to promote literary talent and achievement through all media, old and new.”

I think that’s a rather inspiring statement.  And, from my trip around the website and its links, it is backed up by substance.  In fact, it may be a model for other communities to emulate.

At the website’s relaunching on 27 January, the site led off with a re-intoduction of itself, giving us the history of the site and its related activities.  It all started in 1997 with the launch of a new literary magazine:

“…phati’tude, a literary magazine that challenged a canon based on a European white male model that excluded works by women, gays and lesbians, Native American, and of African, Hispanic/Latino and Asian descent. Expansion continued on the internet and with other TV programs – VISIONARY VOICES and phati’tude Language & Literary Arts Curriculum, among others.”

Gabrielle, in her email to me, pointed directly to the magazine, which is also being relaunched and is currently searching for submissions.  Deadline for submissions is 1 March.  You can check the submission guidelines to see if you have material appropriate for the journal.

This whole enterprise seems richly vibrant.  It’s certainly worth looking into.

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