WriteGirl Bold Ink Awards Honors Women Writers and Celebrates WriteGirl 20th Anniversary
/By Eva Recinos
WriteGirl Volunteer
The 2021 WriteGirl Bold Ink Awards celebrated the power of the pen as WriteGirl honored four fearless women writers for their powerful words on June 12, 2021.
Honorees included WriteGirl Alum Amanda Gorman, the 2021 Inaugural Poet and author of The Hill We Climb; Attica Locke, writer, producer, and author of Heaven, My Home; Tembi Locke, actress and author of From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home; and Gabriela Garcia, poet, journalist and author of the novel Of Women and Salt.
Koco McAboy, Bold Ink Awards MC
WriteGirl was also celebrating its 20th anniversary, making this an extra special event. A little more than 140 participants gathered on Zoom for the evening, hosted by Koco McAboy from Fox 11 News.
Lauren Graham and other friends of WriteGirl gave a special 20th anniversary message to WriteGirl.
DJ OHLA and DJ Toneé Macara kicked off the event with some energetic tunes as people settled in for a night of inspiration. The evening also featured tributes from Lauren Graham, Josh Groban, Wayne Brady, Keiko Agena, Lisa Loeb, Christine Devine, Sherri Saum, Jane Anderson, Lauren Miller Rogen and Seth Rogen, Kelsey Scott and Janice Robinson.
“20 years ago, WriteGirl was just an idea on a piece of paper,” WriteGirl Executive Director Keren Taylor said in her opening remarks. “Right now, there are 500 teens participating in workshops and mentoring, 300 women writers volunteering as mentors...We are a movement!”
WriteGirl Founder and Executive Director Keren Taylor reflects on WriteGirl’s 20 years of empowering teens.
WriteGirl Alum and nuclear nonproliferation expert Lovely Umayam presented the first WriteGirl Bold Ink Award to Gabriela Garcia. She spoke to the power of Garcia’s work in our current moment.
“Art, especially writing, can bring the world closer together, weave that through line between the global and the local, and articulate how the complexities of care bind us to our ancestors and those in the future we have yet to meet, or will never meet,” she said. “For me, Gabriela Garcia’s work captures this beautifully. The way she tells stories about women spanning generations in such embodied writing that I feel like I can touch them, in all of their triumphs, and even their flaws.”
Garcia accepted her award while reflecting on her writing journey.
“I was raised by women, I grew up surrounded by women… I never felt any lack in that and this means so much to be honored by an organization that honors girls, femmes and nonbinary people,” Garcia said. “I’m so grateful for everything I’ve been able to do… but it would not be possible without the incredible mentors that I’ve had.”
Reese Witherspoon presents Tembi Locke and Attica Locke with their Bold Ink Awards.
Next up, Academy Award-winner Reese Witherspoon presented WriteGirl Bold Ink Awards to TV writers and authors Tembi Locke and Attica Locke.
“As writers, they are beyond amazing,” said Witherspoon, who is working with the two sisters on the Netflix adaptation of Tembi’s memoir From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home. “They are always finding the truth in every scene and every moment. As sisters, the amount of love and support they give each other is nothing short of true sister goals. As humans, they inspire us all with their kindness, their passion, and their constant drive to make truly impactful art.”
Tembi Locke accepted her award with some advice for young writers. “Whether you are a poet or a memoirist or a novelist or a screenwriter, I say be fearless. And that doesn’t mean being without fear, it just means fear less — and then make your way to the page,” Tembi said.
The importance of mentorship was a connecting thread in many of the honorees’ stories.
“I am a writer, because someone told me I could write,” Attica Locke said in her acceptance speech. “I don’t know if I hadn’t had that voice in my life at such an early age that I’d be where I am now.”
Lucy Schwartz and Grace Kelly perform at the WriteGirl Bold Ink Awards.
During a musical break, WriteGirl volunteer Lucy Schwartz performed “Not Alone (Tiny Paper Clips)”, accompanied with saxophone by Grace Kelly. All of the streams and sales of the song go to WriteGirl! (Click here for more info.)
The final honoree was WriteGirl Alum and Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman. Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell was the first to present the WriteGirl Bold Ink Award to Gorman.
LA County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell presents the Bold Ink Award to Amanda Gorman.
“Thank you for being a role model to people all across generations and around the world — and proving that Black girl magic is just that,” Mitchell said. “Thank you for being an advocate for underrepresented voices and the sheer manifestation that Black girls do indeed rock — always have, always will.”
Lynne Thompson, Los Angeles Poet Laureate and author of Start with a Small Guitar, also spoke about Gorman’s talent.
“Starting at age 14, Amanda began attending WriteGirl… the rest, as they say, is history,” Thompson said. “Her achievements are the reason why we are so glad that she, to use her words, stepped out of the shade, a flame, and unafraid.”
Gorman explained the importance of WriteGirl in her journey.
Amanda Gorman shares how WriteGirl helped her on her path as a young writer.
“From the moment in which I entered the doors of my first WriteGirl workshop, I felt so loved and so supported,” Gorman said in her acceptance speech.
She acknowledged the potential of the organization to help girls and non-binary writers in many ways.
“WriteGirl’s support is so much more than just writing, poetry, or lyricism or songwriting,” Gorman said. “It’s about really supporting all of their mentees in whatever they want to achieve.”
The evening ended with more expertly curated music from DJ OHLA and DJ Toneé Macara.
DJ OHLA and DJ Toneé Macara end the event with a dance party.
Marking 20 years of WriteGirl, this special event brought together many friends of WriteGirl, both past and present, who flooded the Zoom chat with messages of support, encouragement and gratitude. As one attendee wrote, “I didn’t really have a mentor and that’s why I think WriteGirl is sooo amazing!!!!!”
The event’s sponsors included Writers House, Hello Sunshine, the Hyde Family Foundation, 3 Arts Entertainment and Persica Skincare.
Host Committee members included Jane Anderson, Jennifer Crittenden, Allison Deegan, Sera Gamble, Margaret Hyde, Greg Covey & Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ilene Resnick, Lauren Miller Rogen & Seth Rogen, Melissa Rosenberg & Lev Spiro, Elizabeth Sarnoff, Clare Sera, Margaret Stohl and Robin Swicord.
The event was complemented by the annual WriteGirl online Silent Auction that featured a vintage typewriter signed by Tom Hanks, luxury skincare products from Persica Skincare and more.
