A Story about Our Name: Reed, Write, & Create
The ancient Egyptians gave us the precursor to paper with papyrus, made from the reeds of the papyrus plant. Grown along the banks of the Nile, the reeds were transformed into scrolls to capture the wisdom and stories of the peoples of Africa, Asia, Europe and the Near East. And because papyrus was so light and flexible, these written words, these scrolls, could be gathered together and the first books were written, and stories and information could now travel as readily as gold, tea and spices. So, you see, from the reeds, we were able to write, and get our stories out into the world.
And that is why our company name is Reed, Write, & Create.
Meet Lori L. Tharps
Lori is a writer, a cultural critic, an educator… and she believes in the power of storytelling to change the world.
I created Reed, Write & Create so I could share my love for all things literary with like-minded BIPOC readers and writers.
I am an award-winning author, journalist and educator. I love reading, writing, and storytelling of every kind. Bookstores are my happy place, and libraries are my sacred space. Reed, Write, & Create is my contribution to a literary tradition of freedom writers who use their words to change the world. I firmly believe that the pen is mightier than the sword and storytelling can be a tool for liberation. So, while RWC is very much my passion project, it is also my ministry to help other BIPOC writers find the courage, and harness the skills they need to get their words out into the world.
The Reed, Write, & Create platform provides multiple offerings.
On the RWC blog, discover inspiring literary content that is actionable, educational and, I hope, entertaining. Blog posts fall into the following categories: Publishing News + Book Reviews; Writing, Creativity. and Mindset Tips ; Literary Tourism, and profiles of BIPOC literary legends.
On the RWC podcast I share bite-sized creative writing coaching sessions, and interview successful BIPOC writers to motivate and inspire writers wherever they are on their journey.
The Reed, Write, & Create Sanctuary is a private community for BIPOC women writers who want to get published and get paid.
The Reed, Write, & Create bookshop is an online bookstore that offers a carefully curated selection of books by BIPOC authors for adults, teens and children.
Stay tuned for what’s next from the Reed, Write, & Create brand. Just know, it will be #Lit!
“Lori Tharps is an inspiring and encouraging writing coach. She has a keen ability to zoom in and see the heart of people's writing projects, sometimes before they can really see it for themselves. Participating in her memoir workshop totally transformed the way I am approaching my book manuscript!”
— Erica-Memoir Student
About Lori L. Tharps
Lori L. Tharps is an award-winning author, journalist, and former tenured college professor, whose work lands at the intersection of race and popular culture.
She is the author of three critically acclaimed non-fiction books that deal with race, culture and identity; Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America (St. Martin’s), Kinky Gazpacho: Life, Love & Spain (Atria), and her most recent, Same Family Different Colors: Confronting Colorism in America’s Diverse Families (Beacon).
Lori is also the author of the novel, Substitute Me (Atria) and three “celebrity memoirs.” In addition to her books, Lori’s work can be read in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Essence, Glamour, and Entertainment Weekly magazines. (To learn more about Lori and her professional background, please visit her personal website.)
Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lori now makes her home in the south of Spain with her husband, children and a small dog who pretends to be a poodle.
