Spam Response #1

Stacey J. Miller is one of our most frequent contributors: although she has not yet been published in the magazine, she sends us story ideas on a weekly basis.

We’ll be publishing a series of letters that we’ve written to Stacey

from: [redacted]@columbia.edu

to: Stacey J. Miller

cc: jester@columbia.edu

subj: Re: Story Idea: The Gift of Quilting

Speaking on behalf of Jester of Columbia:

Stacey: we would be glad to publish your article, but it is in need of serious editing. As you know, we are Columbia’s oldest humor magazine, and while the subject of your article is sufficiently old it is not at this time sufficiently humorous. “Slaves worked long, backbreaking hours there without pay” is a very serious note to start an article and cannot easily be made light of without offending many of our readers. Perhaps something could be done with the idea of the coffee tree. If you are not very good at humor writing, do not fear: simply make a joke involving sex or genitalia, and somebody will laugh at it.
We appreciate your continued submissions and hope that you will take this opportunity to develop your humor skills and become a regular contributor.

(original e-mail after the jump)

Story Idea: The Gift of Quilting

“Martha Ann was born about 1817 on the Doherty Plantation in Eastern Tennessee. Slaves worked long, backbreaking hours there without pay. Slave children weren’t allowed to go to school.”

So begins the true story of Martha Ann Ricks whose father purchased her freedom and took the family to Liberia (in 1829) with the help of the American Colonization Society. “But the most fascinating thing about Martha Ann is that fact she spent a lifetime – 50 years, actually — saving her pennies so she could travel 3,500 miles to visit England’s Queen Victoria to present her with a handmade quilt featuring a coffee tree in full-bloom,” says Kyra Hicks who penned the children’s picture book, Martha Ann’s Quilt for Queen Victoria (Brown Books Publishing Group, January 2007).

A nationally-known quilter herself, Hicks has exhibited her work in venues such as the Museum of Contemporary Arts and Design (formerly the American Craft Museum) in New York, the Renwick Gallery in Washington DC, and the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford. “Quilting is an important part of my life, and it’s an integral part of our African American heritage,” says Hicks. “The message of Martha Ann’s Quilt for Queen Victoria goes even deeper than that. Quilting is a metaphor for the gifts that all of us have, inside of ourselves, to share whether we’re a professional, student, stay-at-home mom – or even a nineteenth century former slave who devoted her life to creating something that would be beautiful enough to present to someone she considered a hero. Martha Ann is an inspiration to me, and I hope my readers will take away important lessons from her story, too.”

Hicks is currently available for interviews, and a copy of her book can be made available for review.

Author Bio: Kyra Hicks

Self-taught as were so many of the quilters who inspired her, Kyra is a skilled crafter whose work has been shown in such prestigious venues as the American Craft Museum in New York, the Smithsonian Institution’s Renwick Gallery in Washington DC, the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, and the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, and is included in the Permanent Collection of the Museum of Arts & Design in New York City. Her work has also been featured in over a dozen books, newspapers, and magazines, including Essence, Folk Art, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times.

In her own quilting, Kyra uses cotton to explore political, religious, family and romantic themes. Her original story quilts document her experiences as a young, black, single woman.

A scholar and international lecturer who brings meticulous research to her writing, her speaking — and her quilt designs, Kyra received grants from The Anyone Can Fly Foundation (founded by Faith Ringgold, author of the popular quilting story Tar Beach) and the National Quilting Association, Inc.

Book Information:

Martha Ann’s Quilt for Queen Victoria
By Kyra E. Hicks (illustrated by Lee Edward Födi)
Brown Books Publishing Group
ISBN: 978-1-933285-59-7
Price: $16.95
Publication Date: January 1, 2007

Contact Information:

Stacey J. Miller, Publicist
S. J. Miller Communications
Randolph, MA
http://www.bookpr.com
mailto:sjmiller@bookpr.com
telephone: 781-986-0732

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