On Friday March 16^th I attended the panel of Baltimore Writers. There were 4 different types of writers who are all situated around the Baltimore area. Each writer told us about the effect Baltimore had on their writing.

The first speaker was Gregory Kane who wrote a column for the “Baltimore Sun”. He said that one of the hardest aspects of his job is to get public officials to talk and tell the truth. He stated that there has to be some kind of change take place to make Baltimore a safer place to live. The division of correction gives less information than inmates. Gregory Kane made it a point that if he doesn’t get an answer, he will hunt that person down until they speak to him and give him the answer he is looking for. Gregory Kane is looking for the answers from public officials to show the public what is really going on, he wants to give us a chance to turn this corrupt city from negative to positive.

The second speaker was Elizabeth Evits who is a magazine editor of a magazine based in the Baltimore area. Forty percent of the magazines readers come from the surrounding counties of Baltimore. This magazine is unique in the way that the readers write in about their urban experiences. Elizabeth Evits stated how this magazine is about how you as a writer can be observant, critical, and try to find the real story. It is important to let the story represent the people. Since the magazine is based in Baltimore many of the stories show the readers what Baltimore is all about. It is about what is underneath all the crime that Baltimore is normally known for and it expresses the uniqueness of the city and all the positive aspects the city has to offer, not only to the people of Baltimore but to the rest of the world.

The third writer was Chaz Thompson Cager who is a poet. She read us her poem which was all about her identity. She went into how she is a “city women” and a “country women”. It is a hard task to write about your own identity. Most people can’t do this because there are many aspects to a person’s identity. It is important to know who you are and the components that make this up. It is also important to evaluate the reasons you are the way you are and change them to become a better person. This is the main goal of Jesuit Education. It is to realize your true identity and help you realize what you can contribute to your community, your city, your society to make it a better place.

The fourth speaker was Jane Conly who is a children’s writer. She read us excerpts of two readings. The first reading was a description of a city neighborhood in Baltimore. It said how killing was normal around the neighborhood. This was very shocking to me because I can never think of killing as a normal aspect of every day life. The description of the neighborhood is very different than the neighborhood I grew up in. This description helps me understand where different people are coming from and learn that violence in neighborhoods is very real and not just seen on television; people live with this fear every day.

During each speaker there was a sense of pride in their work, life, or city. This can be related to “Ode to American English” by Barbara Hamby. This poem gives pride to American culture and the different aspects that make it unique compared to other countries. Even though some aspects of English aren’t the most proper and not always the best, we all have a sense of pride in our country. Even though Baltimore doesn’t have the best reputation, people that live there have a sense of pride in Baltimore and learn to take advantage of the many positive aspects that it has to offer, for the surrounding communities.

These writers, like many other events that I have attended, relates back to Jesuit education and making a difference in your community. It’s first about learning and understanding who you are as a person and then taking this and applying it to our society to make it a better place for the future.