EXTENDED DEADLINE: September 8, 2006

I am searching for Black identified females/females of the African Diaspora who practice Veganism to share their stores in an anthology I would like to put together. Please feel free to submit a piece, regardless of the fact that you may not practice veganism 100% of the time. Those who are making a conscious effort to engage in veganism most of the time are invited to contribute to this project. I understand that each person engaged in practicing veganism is at a different level (from fruitarian to raw to cooked to a vegan who occasionally engages in a vegetarian diet). Please do not feel that you cannot contribute to the project if, for instance, you have a vegan diet but may wear an old pair of leather shoes or have had honey a few times this year. I am looking for poetry, photography, personal narratives, creative stories or critical essays about reflections on veganism. Children are also strongly encouraged to participate. Topics and questions to consider can include but are not limited to:

* Reflections and/or critical analysis on Mrs. Coretta Scott King and her choice to practice veganism.
* The unethical treatment of and lack of compassion towards non-human animals and how this is connected to the same mentality that perpetuates racism, neo-colonialism, environmental racism, nationalism, etc.
* Reproductive health and veganism.
* Are you a child or teenager that is practicing veganism?
* Reflections/analysis on dating as a vegan.
* Choosing Veganism and organic fair trade consumption because of its links to ecological harmony.
* Critical reflection of literature that helped to guide you towards a vegan lifestyle. For example:
o Eternal Treblinka: Our Treatment of Animals and the Holocaust
o The Dreaded Comparison: Human and Animal Slavery by Marjorie Spiegel
o Queen Afua's literature: Sacred Woman and Heal Thyself for Life and Longevity
o Vegan Ethics by Erik Marcus
o Literature by Alice Walker
* Are you raising vegan children? What are the difficulties you have experienced with going to doctors, family gatherings, birthday parties, school meals?
* Realizing that Veganism connected you to other holistic practices that enhanced your health and managed life-long ailments.
* What have your experiences been with finding a doctors/or doctors that respect your vegan lifestyle?
* Connecting a memory of sexual harassment and linking it to the politics of meat and unethical dietary habits.
* Is your dietary practice of veganism part of your religious or spiritual practice?
* How do you feel about the socio-economic implications of the current access people have to vegan products? For instance, it has been argued that it is rare to find "healthy food providers" in low-income areas as well as Black communities. What are the implications of this?
* Veganism in America is often associated with the White Middle Class. Much of this demographic are depicted as expressing their initial reason for converting to veganism is because of their beliefs in the ethical treatment of non-human animals. On the contrary, many Black identified women have stated that their initial reason for converting to veganism is because of "personal health reasons." Please reflect on this.
* How do you practice veganism and other forms of ethical eating, if you are one of many people, who due to the lack of access to these products and/or a salary are unable to maintain this lifestyle, 100% of the time?
* How do you feel about PETA and how they have used images of human suffering (African slavery, Jewish Holocaust, Native American genocide) to advocate for animals rights?
* The pivotal moment you realized that your dietary habits potentially supported the very types of oppression you were struggling against.
* Do you have any funny yet poignant stories about your friends and family's reactions to your conversion to Veganism?
* Working class vegans have argued that warm winter vegan clothing is incredibly expensive. It has also been argued that the production of materials such as Gortex clothing is much more environmentally damaging than the making of down jacket. As a vegan, how do you negotiate this and situations like this?
* Have you experienced being called "White" because of your vegan practices? What are the identity politics occurring within the vegan lifestyle of a Black identified woman?
* What are the personal and community health consequences if a Black identified person actively opposes "veganism" strictly because he or she perceives it as "White" and has experienced "negative" situations with "Whiteness?" (I.E., institutionalized racism, White Privilege, etc)
* Have you "cheated" while on your vegan diet? How did or do you feel about this?
* Did you grow up practicing veganism?
* Did you ever have to defend your veganism at you job and feel constantly offended by people who didn't respect it?

THESE ARE JUST SUGGESTIONS. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS I SHOULD ADD TO THESE, PLEASE EMAIL ME. THE MORE, THE MERRIER!

All stories, critical analysis, poetry, and insights all welcome for submission, along with other creative formats you feel will allow your voice to be heard. If possible, stories and essays should be no more than 15 pp double spaced with 1" Margins. ***Please provide a short bio (No more than 1/2 page long) and contact info. Extended Deadline is postmarked by September 8, 2006. Thanks and I look forward to connecting with my you through your writing and art. Please postal meil 2 copies of your work to: 122 Oxford St., #5 , Cambridge MA 02140 USA. If you want me to mail your stuff back, send a SASE. If we would like to use your work in the anthology, we will then ask that you email us the soft copies, okay?