{"id":6259,"date":"2025-10-28T13:10:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T13:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/2025\/10\/28\/write-of-passage-hold-me-help-the-world\/"},"modified":"2025-10-28T13:10:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T13:10:00","slug":"write-of-passage-hold-me-help-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/2025\/10\/28\/write-of-passage-hold-me-help-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Write of Passage: Hold Me, Help the World"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-6259-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/177342761\/5cb52b66698f24614aaaebb1cd40a5f9.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/177342761\/5cb52b66698f24614aaaebb1cd40a5f9.mp3\">https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/177342761\/5cb52b66698f24614aaaebb1cd40a5f9.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p>An image. A photograph. Sometimes we take them for granted. We snap our phones so quickly, only to scroll through them for social posts or store them for infinity in clouds. <\/p><div id=\"vanes-2016988426\" class=\"vanes-content vanes-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 2px;margin-right: 2px;margin-bottom: 2px;margin-left: 2px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/fireswordandsea.htm\" aria-label=\"Fire Sword &amp; Sea\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?fit=1706%2C2560&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Fire Sword &amp; Sea\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?w=1706&ssl=1 1706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&ssl=1 683w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=1365%2C2048&ssl=1 1365w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?w=1280&ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" width=\"569\" height=\"853\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>Does anyone remember having to take a roll of film out of a camera with care\u2014rolling it up, taking it to be developed? Anyone remember what it felt like to wait to pick up the prints? Now we have so many at our fingertips that many of these images will never be opened again.<\/p>\n<p>Technology has advanced, and we all walk around with a digital lens to analyze the world. Everyone can capture history or life with a click. And especially in our constantly moving 24-hour news cycle, images can start to lose their meaning. Of course, we begin to feel their value again when something like\u2014oh, I don\u2019t know\u2014authoritarianism creeps in and tries to keep us from seeing things and asking questions.<\/p>\n<p>Pictures are meant to help us save our moments. I saw one this week, that I can\u2019t get out of my head. It\u2019s not traumatic; it\u2019s not painful. It\u2019s lovely, very heartwarming. It\u2019s of a ballerina and a dancer turned choreographer and teacher.<\/p>\n<p>On October 22, 2025, Misty Copeland took her final bow with the American Ballet Theatre in New York. Misty came on stage for applause, and Debbie Allen\u2014the icon\u2014embraced her.<\/p>\n<p>The moment stopped me. To see a legend embracing another legend\u2014it\u2019s powerful. It\u2019s the kind of image that reminds you what legacy looks like. It says: <em>You\u2019ve finished this part of your journey, and the next part will be even better. You\u2019ll touch more people, like I have. And you can also take a moment to rest and enjoy what you\u2019ve accomplished.<\/em> You can feel that warmth, that love, that encouragement radiating through the hug.<\/p>\n<p>And honestly, in these times\u2014when the government has shut down, when benefits are threatened, when healthcare costs could skyrocket, and so many people are drowning in anxiety\u2014that kind of reassurance, that quiet \u201cI\u2019ve been there, and you\u2019re going to be all right,\u201d means the world.<\/p>\n<p>This week, I went to the 21st Cavalcade in Chicago, hosted by my dear friend, author Lissa Woodson. It was a reunion of sorts\u2014people who were there at the very beginning of my writing journey came, as well as many new faces just starting theirs. It was a good time full of hugs and laughs. Dear author buddy and Fun Friday Girl, Pat Simmons, arrived and brought even more fun. I snapped a selfie of us.<\/p>\n<p>Panya, one of my dear friends from college, came, and we shared dinner, more laughter, and stories about our children, husbands, and our global lives. Every small moment is to be savored and captured\u2014not only on phones but in our hearts and minds. And I had the waiter snap a photo of us.<\/p>\n<p>A big part of the Cavalcade is being at the convention center and interfacing with the public. All of us, regardless of the stage of our careers\u2014indie, hybrid, or traditional\u2014we all hustled. We all tried to get someone to listen and maybe make a sale.<\/p>\n<p>Oh, the memories this brings back.<\/p>\n<p>And I hope the new authors there felt welcomed and hugged upon. I want them to know: <em>Hey, it may be rocky right now, but it\u2019s going to be all right.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>And let me just say this: Author MarZ\u00e9 Scott gives the best hugs known to humankind. I\u2019m convinced she\u2019s secretly a chiropractor because she hugs you just right. You don\u2019t just feel safe\u2014you feel loved, deeply loved, and spine-straightened\u2014even if you\u2019ve only just met. That\u2019s a rare gift: to be medicinal, maternal, and downright cool. I hope she knows how special it is to receive her hug and the impression she leaves with everyone she embraces.<\/p>\n<p>Lissa snapped our picture. I\u2019m grateful for each picture, each moment captured now and forever. These stills remind me of the love, the connection, the humanity we share. We\u2019re moving into the holiday season\u2014Thanksgiving\u2019s on the horizon. It\u2019s time to donate hugs\u2014give to food pantries, check in on people who might be lonely or forgotten. Share your time. Everyone\u2019s going through something. And this season, we need to be a little kinder, a little more forgiving.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s the power of a hug. It wrings out the bitterness from the soul and leaves space for goodness.<\/p>\n<p>Now, I\u2019ve added to my phone those pictures of Debbie Allen and Misty Copeland hugging. I even went scrolling to see if Debbie hugged Shonda Rhimes\u2014I\u2019m pretty sure they did offstage at their recent Atlanta\/Dekalb meet-up to celebrate <em>The Year of Yes.<\/em> If not for the Cavalcade, I would\u2019ve been at Shonda\u2019s tour stop.<\/p>\n<p>My <em>Year of Yes<\/em> was 2019, which began my journey into writing historical fiction\u2014finally taking the stories I\u2019d grown up hearing or stumbled upon in research and actually writing them. Before my <em>Year of Yes,<\/em> I\u2019d been told by agents and editors that there was no interest in historical novels that singularly focused on Black women\u2014particularly of Caribbean descent\u2014as the heroes of their own lives. I\u2019m very proud to have birthed three such novels into the world (Island Queen, Sister Mother Warrior, Queen of Exiles) and to be about to birth a fourth: <em>Fire Sword and Sea<\/em>, coming January 13, 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, as I look out at the world, I think we need more hugs\u2014more soft places to land\u2014as the landscape keeps shifting and going backward, where the needle of what\u2019s important or print-worthy is dictated by algorithms and viral images on social media.<\/p>\n<p>So in this season, when patience runs thin, when anxiety is high and irritation is always just around the corner\u2014find those huggers. Let them give you a good embrace. Let it cleanse your soul a little. And as always, hug your writer friends. Let them know that there is more good road ahead for their feet\u2014and their keyboards\u2014to follow.<\/p>\n<p>Today List of books is for the huggers:<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/a\/82430\/9781668205273\">Year\u202fof\u202fYes:\u202f10th\u202fAnniversary\u202fEdition<\/a><strong> by Shonda Rhimes \u2014 In this expanded edition, the bestselling TV-creator reflects on how saying \u201cyes\u201d changed her life and invites readers to step into their own.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/a\/82430\/9798986463247\">Stop in the Name of Love<\/a><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/a\/82430\/9798986463247\"><strong> <\/strong><\/a><strong>by Naleighna Kai and U.M. Hiram \u2014 An emotionally charged romance where passion collides with faith, family, and hard choices that test both heart and conscience.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/a\/82430\/9781732328242\">King Of South Shore<\/a><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/a\/82430\/9781732328242\"><strong> <\/strong><\/a><strong>by MarZ\u00e9 Scott \u2014 A secretive millionaire real-estate mogul\u2019s romance could end before things really get started.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/a\/82430\/9780142501412\">Dancing in the Wings<\/a> by Debbie Allen is a lovely children\u2019s book that loosely is based on the actress\u2019s own experiences as a young dancer.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/a\/82430\/9781733831680\">Contempt<\/a><strong> by Pat Simmons \u2014 Grandma BB orchestrates a practice funeral for the Jamieson clan, but unexpected surprises and an uninvited guest turn the evening into a lively, unforgettable family gathering.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>This week, I\u2019m highlighting <\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/foxtalebookshoppe.com\/\"><strong>FoxTale Bookshoppe<\/strong><\/a><strong> through their website and <\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/shop\/foxtalebookshoppe\"><strong>Bookshop.org<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Consider purchasing Fire Sword and Sea from <\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/foxtalebookshoppe.com\/book\/9780063271043\"><strong>FoxTale<\/strong><\/a><strong> or one of my partners in the fight<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/fireswordandsea.htm\"><strong>, bookstore\u2019s<\/strong><\/a><strong> large and small who are in this with me.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>We are less three months away the January 13<\/strong><strong>th<\/strong><strong> release. Please spread the word and preorder this adventure about Caribbean women pirates of the 1600s. Piracy is legal. It\u2019s their escape, and answer to prayer. And remember to get collector cards with your preorder. Then tell me, who\u2019s on your crew?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Show notes include a list of the books mentioned in this broadcast.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>You can find my notes on Substack or on my website, <\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vanessariley.com\/\"><strong>VanessaRiley.com<\/strong><\/a><strong> under the podcast link in the About tab.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>If you\u2019re on board this ship, hit that like button and subscribe and share <\/strong><strong><em>Write of Passage. Never miss a moment. We have work to do. And I need You.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Thank you for listening. Hopefully, you\u2019ll come again. This is Vanessa Riley.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>This is a public episode. If you&#8217;d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/vanessariley.substack.com\/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=CTA_2\">vanessariley.substack.com\/subscribe<\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"vanes-1726717500\" class=\"vanes-after-content vanes-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 3px;margin-right: 3px;margin-bottom: 3px;margin-left: 3px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?fit=1080%2C1350&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Listen to the Write of Passage Weekly Podcast\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?w=1080&ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?resize=240%2C300&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?resize=819%2C1024&ssl=1 819w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?resize=768%2C960&ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" width=\"540\" height=\"675\"   \/><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An image. A photograph. Sometimes we take them for granted. We snap our phones so quickly, only to scroll through them for social posts or store them for infinity in clouds. Does anyone remember having to take a roll of film out of a camera with care\u2014rolling it up, taking it to be developed? Anyone [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6260,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[81,793,9,620,756,694],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-personal-stories","category-politics","category-recommended-reading","category-syndication","category-technology","category-tv-and-film"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/c07d5febc7ec9dd4d67725fae4408e4e.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6259","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6259"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6259\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}