Last year when several people stood and read stories and poems they had submitted for the second annual bell hooks Memorial Writing Contest, I sat in the audience and experienced a deep sense of pride in my hometown.
Their stories were evidence of Hopkinsville’s creative talent, and I appreciated the opportunity to witness what felt like a rare acknowledgment of our gifts. Too rare. For some reason, this community has not ever fully embraced one of its most valuable characteristics — our artistry. At least not in my lifetime.
Hopkinsville has long been fertile ground for creative works. It’s all around us, held up by groups like the Christian County Literacy Council, the Hopkinsville Art Guild, Campanile, the Pennyroyal Arts Council, local schools, the community college, and even businesses that flex their creative muscles. But we’ve never really claimed arts as our thing — which could go a long way in countering less flattering and generally inaccurate labels long associated with Hopkinsville.
That’s why an endeavor like the bell hooks contest is so important. It provides a public outlet for creative writing that can redefine the sense of who we are in Hopkinsville and Christian County.
So I have two suggestions.
Enter the third annual bell hooks Memorial Writing Contest. (The deadline for submissions is Jan. 31, and it’s open to anyone who lives in Kentucky.)
Or make sure to go to the awards ceremony at the conclusion of the contest and hear for yourself the talent that exists in our community. I’ll let Hoptown Chronicle readers know when the event is happening.
If you are interested in writing something for the contest, here’s what you need to know.
And if you want to know more about bell hooks, here are stories we’ve published about this native daughter who became one of the world’s most highly regarded writers and scholars of her generation.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
