{"id":6293,"date":"2026-02-24T14:10:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T14:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/24\/write-of-passage-fifteen-seconds-and-a-slur\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T14:10:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T14:10:00","slug":"write-of-passage-fifteen-seconds-and-a-slur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/24\/write-of-passage-fifteen-seconds-and-a-slur\/","title":{"rendered":"Write of Passage: Fifteen Seconds and a Slur"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-6293-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/188991369\/fb8f24fbe6793c8e8974d080b9475fe3.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/188991369\/fb8f24fbe6793c8e8974d080b9475fe3.mp3\">https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/188991369\/fb8f24fbe6793c8e8974d080b9475fe3.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p><strong>For any writer or creator, the edit is your best tool or best weapon. Every paragraph, article, headline, every broadcast, even every post is a choice\u2014what stays in, what gets cut, who gets protected, and who gets exposed are choices. If you have the power to edit, you have the power to do better. Let\u2019s talk about the superpower that comes with great responsibility.<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"vanes-398815152\" 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>Fifteen Seconds and a Slur<\/p>\n<p>The edit is intentional.<\/p>\n<p>The greatest tool any author carries is not talent, not inspiration, not even discipline. It is the edit. The edit is where intention meets responsibility. It is where raw creation becomes art.<\/p>\n<p>No one\u2014no one\u2014sits down and instantly produces a masterpiece. Manuscripts are not born polished. They are wrestled into being. They are drafted in confusion, in bursts of brilliance, in gaps of missing facts and half-remembered details. I cannot tell you how many times I\u2019ve left myself placeholders\u2014XXX\u2014so I can go back and hunt down what I actually meant: the correct monetary value of a tavern meal in pirate haven Port Royal, the historical cut of a waistcoat or falls of breaches, the name of a street or rue in Hispaniola. It\u2019s never right on the first go.<\/p>\n<p>Returning to it on the next pass, the next edit\u2014that\u2019s where the magic happens. The edit is the intentional power to clarify what you meant. The power to fix what you missed. The power to elevate what almost worked into what truly does.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve worked with brilliant editors and those who gave me brilliant headaches. I even hire my own. A good editor helps me see what I cannot see. They bring perspective, distance, and rigor. But even then, I choose. I decide what advice to accept, what to reconsider, and what to reshape. Editing is collaboration\u2014but it is also stewardship. Before any manuscript moves to the next level\u2014before submission or publication\u2014it carries the weight of my choices. Another set of eyes will add more to the manuscript. Every perspective reveals something new. That\u2019s how diligent writers reach the best version of a book earthly possible.<\/p>\n<p>Writers are not the only ones who wield this magic tool.<\/p>\n<p>Video editing is editing. What you choose to upload to your social feeds\u2014what you trim, what you blur, what you cut out\u2014matters. I am more conscious of accidentally revealing mailing addresses in the background of one of my post office runs. Everyone should hide vulnerable information that should not be public, and watch for angles that misrepresent.<\/p>\n<p>The edit shapes our experience. On TikTok, Threads, Bluesky, Instagram\u2014even if you wander back to Twitter\u2014you should be curating what we see. That curation, that social edit is power.<\/p>\n<p>Journalists edit, too. They decide:<\/p>\n<p>* Whose names appear?<\/p>\n<p>* Which details matter?<\/p>\n<p>* Which context is included?<\/p>\n<p>* And which bits of info are left out?<\/p>\n<p>That is why it unsettles me when journalists act as if they are powerless\u2014when they behave as though they must show everything, or they both-sides-things normalizing crazy, and seem to be okay with pieces that distort or wound.<\/p>\n<p>When civil rights leader and Rainbow Coalition founder <strong>Jesse Jackson<\/strong> died peacefully at 84 on February 17, 2026, after long battles with Parkinson\u2019s disease, the headline was clear: a giant of the civil rights movement had passed, noting Jackson was:<\/p>\n<p>* A key figure in the struggle after <strong>Martin Luther King Jr.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>* A two-time presidential candidate.<\/p>\n<p>* A successful hostage negotiator (over 100 returned to the US).<\/p>\n<p>* A man whose life reshaped American political possibility.<\/p>\n<p>Yet in a brief radio mention\u2014a mere fifteen-second clip to commemorate his death\u2014the spot highlighted not only Jackson\u2019s death but his son\u2019s past troubles. Fifteen seconds. In a moment meant for legacy, painful and tangential details were inserted. That is an edit. That is a choice.<\/p>\n<p>Editing is not neutral.<\/p>\n<p>The same lesson unfolded at the <strong>BAFTA Film Awards<\/strong>. During a broadcast on <strong>BBC<\/strong>, Tourette syndrome campaigner <strong>John Davidson<\/strong> shouted a racial slur while actors <strong>Delroy Lindo<\/strong> and <strong>Michael B. Jordan<\/strong> stood on stage presenting an award. Both men\u2014accomplished, respected, peers among peers\u2014were subjected to one of the most dehumanizing words in the English language, the N-word. The live moment was shocking enough. But the editing was worse.<\/p>\n<p>The slur remained in the BBC broadcast and was replayed worldwide three hours later. The corporation later apologized, saying producers in the truck had not heard it. Meanwhile, other moments\u2014such as calls of \u201cFree Palestine\u201d\u2014were edited out of the rebroadcast. Actor <strong>Alan Cumming<\/strong>, hosting the ceremony, initially offered an explanation centered on Tourette syndrome and apologized \u201cif you are offended.\u201d Later reactions grew sharper. Producer <strong>Hannah Beachler<\/strong> criticized what she described as a throwaway apology.<\/p>\n<p>Editing is a choice.<\/p>\n<p>The decision to leave a racial epithet while removing a political statement is not accidental neutrality. It reveals priority. It reveals what is deemed urgent to correct and what is allowed to linger. The reasoning behind the slur\u2014whether involuntary or not\u2014does not erase the harm of its broadcast. And apologies that focus first on explanation rather than impact misses the point.<\/p>\n<p>As writers, we should understand this. We need to understand that impact matters more than intent. That harm can occur even when harm was not planned. That\u2019s why sensitivity reads exist. In my essay, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/open.substack.com\/pub\/vanessariley\/p\/the-sensitivity-of-sensitivity-reads?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&amp;utm_medium=web\">The Sensitivity of Sensitivity Reads<\/a>, I have told you the fun and pain of sensitivity reads<\/p>\n<p>I may have disagreed with a line or two of a sensitivity read, but I\u2019ve never dismissed the feedback, especially without sitting with it. Editing with sensitivity returns us to the guiding principle: do no harm.<\/p>\n<p>Editing is how we live that principle.<\/p>\n<p>Where is the editing? It must be gone, and groupthink is in. Old guard systems become blind\u2014or arrogant\u2014about the damage they cause. They forget that every rebroadcast, every headline, every fifteen-second plug can cause curated chaos.<\/p>\n<p>Care about your words as fiercely as you care about being right. Care about your audience as much as you care about being provocative. If something slips through\u2014if harm was done unintentionally\u2014you can always edit\u2014fix what you\u2019ve done. You have a cure\u2014meaningful apologies. Then use the delete button.<\/p>\n<p>If we refuse to edit thoughtfully\u2014if we cling to ego over empathy\u2014we deepen division. Instead of being our brother\u2019s keeper, we are his judge. Why be a critic instead of a caretaker?<\/p>\n<p>Succumbing to editing is not a weakness. It is not censorship. It\u2019s refinement. It\u2019s responsibility. It\u2019s good intention made visible through your craft.<\/p>\n<p>The edit is intentional.<\/p>\n<p>And so must we be.<\/p>\n<p>This week\u2019s booklist comes from Tayari Jones. During her insightful book launch with Pearl Cleage, she shared her desert-island author picks.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/eagleeyebooks.com\/book\/9781400033423\">Song of Solomon<\/a> by Toni Morrison-Song of Solomon: A young man embarks on a journey through family history and ancestral memory that leads him toward identity, liberation, and a deeper understanding of love and legacy.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/eagleeyebooks.com\/book\/9781950774159\">How to Carry Water: Selected Poems of Lucille Clifton<\/a> by Lucille Clifton: This luminous collection gathers decades of Clifton\u2019s spare, powerful poetry, honoring Black womanhood, survival, spirituality, and the quiet endurance of everyday life.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/eagleeyebooks.com\/book\/9781451664706\">Things I should\u2019ve Told my Daughter<\/a> by Pearl Cleage: Part memoir and part intimate counsel, Cleage reflects on love, art, activism, and motherhood, offering hard-won wisdom to the next generation of Black women.<\/p>\n<p>Congratulate Tayari Jones on the new release of <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/eagleeyebooks.com\/book\/9780525659181\">Kin<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>And Denny S. Bryce for <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/eagleeyebooks.com\/book\/9781496737892\">Where the False Gods Dwell.<\/a> Can\u2019t wait to dive into these books.<\/p>\n<p><strong>This week I\u2019m highlighting <\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/eagleeyebooks.com\/\"><strong>Eagle Eye Bookshop<\/strong><\/a><strong>, one of Atlanta\u2019s best bookstores.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Consider purchasing <\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/eagleeyebooks.com\/book\/9780063271043\"><strong>Fire Sword and Sea<\/strong><\/a><strong> from Eagle Eye Bookshop (they have signed copies) or from one of my partners in the fight<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/fireswordandsea.htm\"><strong>, bookstores<\/strong><\/a><strong> large and small, who are hanging with me.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Come on, my readers, my beautiful listeners. Let\u2019s keep everyone excited about Fire Sword and Sea.<\/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>Let\u2019s keep rising and creating together. Please like, subscribe, and share the podcast. And stay connected to <\/strong><strong><em>Write of Passage<\/em><\/strong><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Thank you for listening. I want you to come again. This is Vanessa Riley.<\/strong><\/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-2818436484\" 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>For any writer or creator, the edit is your best tool or best weapon. Every paragraph, article, headline, every broadcast, even every post is a choice\u2014what stays in, what gets cut, who gets protected, and who gets exposed are choices. If you have the power to edit, you have the power to do better. Let\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6294,"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-6293","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\/2026\/02\/999c12a57c41439be29a777f48c3fc36.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6293","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=6293"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6293\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}