“Write a lot and hit the streets. A writer who doesn't keep up with what's out there ain't gonna be out there.”
In this quote, Toni Cade Bambara stresses the importance of writers staying active and engaged with the world around them. By encouraging writers to "write a lot and hit the streets," Bambara is suggesting that writers must continuously observe and participate in the world in order to stay relevant and connected. Writers who isolate themselves and do not keep up with current events or trends risk becoming disconnected from their audience and losing their impact. Bambara's message serves as a reminder to writers to remain curious, engaged, and active in order to continue producing meaningful work.
In today's fast-paced digital age, it is more important than ever for writers to actively engage with the world around them. Just as Toni Cade Bambara emphasizes the importance of writing frequently and staying connected to the world, modern writers must also embrace these principles to stay relevant and impactful in their work. With the vast amount of information and content available, writers must continue to write, learn, and engage with their communities to remain connected and influential in their craft.
"“Write a lot and hit the streets. A writer who doesn't keep up with what's out there ain't gonna be out there.” - Toni Cade Bambara"
This quote serves as a reminder for writers to stay active and engaged with the world around them in order to create meaningful and relevant content.
It is important for writers to stay engaged with the world around them in order to produce meaningful and relevant work. Toni Cade Bambara emphasizes the importance of observing, experiencing, and reflecting on what is happening in society. Consider the following questions to reflect on how you can stay connected to the world as a writer:
“Writing is one of the ways I participate in transformation.”
“For people sometimes believed that it was safer to live with complaints, was necessary to cooperate with grief, was all right to become an accomplice in self-ambush... Take heart to flat out decide to be well and stride into the future sane and whole.”
“Are you sure, sweetheart, that you want to be well?… Just so’s you’re sure, sweetheart, and ready to be healed, cause wholeness is no trifling matter. A lot of weight when you’re well.”
“As a culture worker who belongs to an oppressed people my job is to make revolution irresistible.”
“I am one beautiful and powerful son of a bitch,' he told himself. 'Smart as a whip, respected, prosperous, beloved and valuable. I have the right to be healthy, happy and rich, for I am the baddest player in this arena or any other. I love myself more than I love money and pretty women and fine clothes. I love myself more than I love neat gardens and healthy babies and a good gospel choir. I love myself as I love The Law. I love myself in error and in correctness, waking or sleeping, sneezing, tipsy, or fabulously brilliant I love myself doing the books or sitting down to a good game of poker. I love myself making love expertly, or tenderly and shyly, or clumsily and inept. I love myself as I love The Master's Mind,' he continued his litany, having long ago stumbled upon the prime principle as a player--that self-love produces the gods and the gods are genius. It took genius to run the Southwest Community Infirmary. So he made the rounds of his hospital the way he used to make the rounds of his houses to keep the tops spinning, reciting declarations of self-love.”
“We stand there with this big smile of respect between us. It’s about as real a smile as girls can do for each other, considering we don’t practice real smiling every day, you know, cause maybe we too busy being flowers or fairies or strawberries instead of something honest and worthy of respect . . . you know . . . like being people.”