African-American Writers' Alliance Group Reading

The African-American Writers' Alliance return to the store for their 34th annual group reading. The evening will include readings from Kathya Alexander, Margaret Barrie, Helen J. Collier, Monique Franklin, NaKeesa Frazier-Jennings, Gail Haynes, James D. Macon, Georgia S. McDade, Merri Ann Osborne, Gaylloyd Sissoon, Santiago Vega, and Jacqueline (Jaye) Ware.

Kathya Alexander—author, playwright, storyteller, and teaching Artist—grew up during the Civil Rights Movement which greatly impacted her life and continues to influence her writing. She was a Writer-in-Residence at Hedgebrook Writer’s Retreat, and her play, The Negro Passion Play, was selected for Hedgebrook’s inaugural Playwrights Festival. Her debut novel, Keep A ’Livin’, was released in 2024 by Aunt Lute Books. Kathya’s play, Black to My Roots: African- American Tales from the Head and the Heart, won the Fringe First Award at the prestigious Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. She took BTMR back to Edinburgh in 2025 and was honored with a second award for writing for Black Performers. Angel in the Outhouse is a collection of Kathya’s stories.

Margaret Barrie, a Seattle native, is a lifelong writer of poems, short stories, and memoirs about being a mother, household manager, and community volunteer. After completing an M.A. in Human Development, she took critical thinking skills courses at the University of Edinburgh. Her community service includes Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic and the Casey Family Program. Margaret has works in several anthologies and looks forward to her first book being published this year.

Helen J. Collier is a Black American writer born in the Midwest and raised in East St. Louis, Illinois. The graduate of Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Illinois, has been writing since the age of twelve. Writing is her passion. Using magical realism as a tool, she tells her stories through the eyes of characters drawn from real people’s lives. Her favorite genres are magical realism and science fiction. The author of nine novels, Helen is now working on her second trilogy. The resident of Auburn, Washington, received the 2021 Kwanzaa Award for self-determination. The world of audiobooks welcomed Helen this year.

Monique Franklin, also known as “Verbal Oasis,” was selected for the 2013-2014 Arts/4 Culture Touring Artist Roster. As a poet and teaching artist, she gives voice to social issues, human relationships, cogent tributes, and self-discovery in her poems, which meld musicians, vocalists, and dancers. As founder of Inspired Child, located in Rainier Valley, Monique has a twenty- year history of operating free in-person and virtual programming and events in the Central District, Rainier Valley, Rainier Beach, Skyway, and Renton Communities.

NaKeesa Frazier-Jennings, a resident of Western Washington, is originally from Washington, DC. For NaKeesa, the written word often sheds light on the many issues impacting Black people. Her first publication—in an online magazine--led to her works appearing in the South Seattle Emerald, The Real Change, and Fly to the Assemblies!: Seattle and the Rise of the Resistance. The multitalented artist had work included in the multi-dimensional art project Black Imagination and has work in the book titled Black Powerful. She also is the owner and founder of a business consulting firm in Tacoma, Washington. She serves as the creative director for the Black family art legacy showcase and portrait painting exhibit by artist George Jennings.

Gail Haynes, author of Soulful and Sassy Reflections and Poems, makes you laugh and reflect on life experiences. Her poems exalt the Lord’s goodness and His amazing power of love that transforms lives. Many of Gail’s poems and stories are full of humor. Her health advice column, “Be Well with Gail,” appears in The Facts. She also reads at Columbia and Ballard Branch Libraries, Third Place Books, and non-profits that stand against injustice.

James D. Macon, M. D., a retired physician who lives in Washington State with his family, still spends much of his time caring for others. He has a strong desire to share his stories. His fantasy novels with a touch of mystery are for young adult and adult readers. His publications Tezfire, and books in The Phosfire Journeys Series: Purveyors and Acquirers, Practitioner of the Arts, Opener of Doors, Guardian of the Trade and Champion of the Temple.

Georgia S. McDade, Ph. D., says many of her poems are inspired by art, especially that at Gallery 110 and Onyx Fine Arts Collective. Georgia credits AAWA with making her write as much poetry as she does. Outside the Cave is the title of four volumes of her poetry, The Unlevel Field, another. For several years, she wrote for the South Seattle Emerald and Leschinews; with Jim Cantu, she cohosted Hearts and Soul on KVRU (105.7) and reported for “Voices of Diversity” on KBCS (91.3). Observation and Revelations: Stories, Sketches, and Essays is a volume of prose. She conducts writing and social issues workshops and participates in seminars on Black History, composition, and literature. She is working on a volume of poetry written during the pandemic, two biographies, and the publication of her dissertation on Jessie Fauset, an assistant to W. E. B. Du Bois, Ph.D.

Merri Ann Osborne has been intrigued by stories and the art of storytelling since childhood. In middle school, she started writing stories, plays, songs, and jingles—and hasn’t stopped since! Not one to be pigeon-holed by genres or labels, Merri Ann utilizes various media to express and share her art, including acting, dance, voice-over, producing, and directing. Having lived and traveled abroad, Merri Ann is drawn to writing about the intersection of culture, history, class, and social issues. She explore how these themes impact relationships and our shared future. Her first published short story, "The Crew," appears in AAWA's 2018 anthology Voices That Matter. She is currently putting the final touches on her young adult historical fiction novel City Girl, Country Summer. You also can find Merri Ann working on productions at The Mahogany Project (www.mahoganyproject.org), an arts organization where she serves as the Executive Director. At Merri Ann’s insistence, six AAWA members wrote s plays, six of which were staged and filmed for Shunpike’s Artists of Color Expo and Symposium.

Gaylloyd Sisson is a member of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association, African-American Writers’ Alliance, Summer Scribes, and Renton Writers Workshop. His poems are in the Columbia City Art Gallery, at Mt. Vernon’s nature trail and library, North Cascades Institute, and The Poet in Sacramento, California. He spent a summer promoting Poetry Soirees in Burien’s Highline Heritage Museum, Columbia City Gallery, and Sumner Senior Center. His first novel, Down the Road A Piece, is available at local and international bookstores. He is presently working on his first audiobook. He lives with his wife Kathleen in Burien, Washington.

Santiago Vega, multilingual and multi-talented, writes, recites, dances, and teaches across cultures. He feels compelled to say what he believes, realizing he may be forced to stand alone. Calmly, he says his philosophy is akin to that of Gandhi, Malcolm, and King. For those who see those men as crazy, Santiago says the world needs more such “crazy” people. This craziness can change the world for the better because it is the kind of craziness the world needs. Knowing everything is political, he writes about local, national, and world issues. He is a poet/philosopher to be heard.

Jacqueline (Jaye) Ware, a twelve-year member of AAWA, was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. Her meat and potatoes are in the legal profession, but she butters her bread as a poet, spoken word artist, and playwright. Jaye enjoys developing unique material that creatively captures children’s stories, social justice, and issues of injustice. Her poems appear in several AAWA anthologies and the Western Washington Poets Network anthology Good Word. 4 Black Women Talking, created by Jaye, is a panel of women born/raised in four different regions of the country during the civil rights and Jim Crow eras sharing personal experiences that made them who they are today. Some of Jaye’s works can be found at the address below:

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