Showing results by author "Darlene Taylor" in All Categories

How We Do It is an anthology curated by Black writers for the creation and proliferation of Black thought. While a creator’s ethnicity does not solely define them, it is inherently part of who they are and how they interpret the world. For centuries, Black creators have utilized oral and written storytelling traditions in crafting their art. But how does one begin the process of constructing a poem or story or character? How do Black writers, when faced with questions of “authenticity,” dive deep into the essence of their lives and work to find the inherent truth?

Prepare to embark on a remarkable journey. As my story unfolds, it was 2015–I was sitting at my computer, planning my gospel doctrine class. I stood up to get something, and I instantly transcended into a spiritual encounter, an overwhelming deep-seated sensation of instant knowledge that went down to my cells. When I opened my eyes from this Experience, I saw the world differently. I walked slowly into my bedroom and took my garments off. I’ve never gone back to the Mormon Church or any church, since.

If you had told Darlene Taylor that she’d pack her bags after a rocky divorce to move across the country at the request of her ex-husband, she would have laughed in your face. And she would’ve asked to sip whatever it was you were drinking. But that’s exactly what happened—and it changed the course of her family.