Beyond the Words anthology - Review

Beyond the Words is an anthology of poetry and short stories collected and compiled by Scripting Change. The theme of this edition is education and literacy.

Some of the authors in this anthology appeared in the previous one titled Seeing Past Sickness. Profits from the sale of both books goes to charity organisations for each theme.

The short collection comprises 13 pieces alternating between poetry and short stories. I have a poem in here called Words.

The anthology opens with Faith Breisblatt's nostalgic poem "Writing Letters".

"To Keep You" by Kristyn F. Brunson, the second piece in this collection and the first short story is a cosy, heart-warming and loving piece about two sisters reading to each other and connecting through reading and writing no matter the hardships of time. I cried reading this five-star piece.

"Poetic Process" by Celena McDonnell is a beautiful poem with smooth and fresh imagery. Five stars to this one as well.

"Snagged in careful fingers,

I release them from their cage,

the poetic words begin to form

as I print them on the page."

"Common Groundless" by Kathy DeFlane is a short story about the difficulties of communication and understanding between languages and species! I felt it stretched out a bit, but it is nonetheless a very suitable piece for this edition and theme.

Aaron Jackson's poem "Undocumented Tutor" is an interesting piece, easily imagined and makes me think of all the 'undocumented tutors', the people you meet in life, learn things from them and take them for granted.

"Immortalised in Ink" by Aria Glazki, a regular contributor, is a short story every reader and bookworm can relate to. I absolutely loved it. A must read.

"Opening Worlds" by Seker Solis, is a poem with several interesting lines. My only comment is that the piece begins with a rhyme then shifts to free verse.

"And each word that is as a rocket rising,

Blends in subtle harmony with one that is as a ribbon falling."

"I Don't Read So Good" by Austin D. Nichols is another five-star beautiful and powerful short story in Beyond the Words. Definitely one of my favourites in this anthology about a man and woman meeting at a reading group. She writes beautifully but stammers in speech and "He knew he could write. He'd done it before, but never got the itch. Had it once, perhaps, a long, long time ago, before everything… The words darted out of his mouth. Succinctly sharp. Perfect in form only. But the meaning was lost."

Meanwhile, when it's the woman's turn to read, she stutters. "The words, metal prongs through a symphony of story, hindered every rhyme in her rhythm."

"Chasing Rainbows" by Margit Sage is a strong but painful short story on what stops writers from pursuing their passion. I enjoyed the strong sense of restlessness, which emanated from the piece. A must-read.

Finally, I'd like to quote a verse from my poem "Words", which was included in the anthology.

"Soon you'll be one

Woman and words,

Stronger than a thousand swords"

Celebrating International Literacy Day with Grammarly

Tuesday, 8th of September marked International Literacy Day. Grammarly is celebrating the initiative all week. 

Check out their infographic below on illiteracy in the world and see how you can help contribute to your local community, your country or the world, even by simply sharing the statistics and raising awareness.

Beyond the Words - Book Blast!

Today, Tuesday, 02 December 2014, marks the launch of Scripting Change's second anthology. It also gives me great pleasure to announce that I, Nada Adel Sobhi, have a piece in the collection. 
All proceeds from the sale of this poetry and short story anthology go to a charitable organisation, or as is the case with this year, three organisations. This year, the theme of the anthology is supporting literacy.

The community writing project, Scripting Change, is incredibly excited to announce the release of their second anthology: Beyond the Words!

Absolutely every piece of this e-book, from the coordination, to the contents, to the beautiful cover art, was volunteered, and 100% of proceeds will be donated to nonprofit organizations championing literacy in their communities.  Read on to find out why!

About the Project:

Scripting Change is a writing initiative that aims to bring together the vast community of writers and readers in support of responsible nonprofit organizations. 

The project accepts submissions from writers, relating to a theme that reflects an important cause.  The selected pieces are combined in an anthology which is published as an e-book, in this case: Beyond the Words.  Proceeds from this and every Scripting Change e-books' sales are donated to the matched organization that champions each e-book's cause.

By focusing on the compelling words of writers, Scripting Change is able to raise not only funds but also awareness for the causes of the organizations they support.  The time and talents of everyone involved are offered freely, so the project has absolutely no overhead costs, which means every dollar raised is donated to positively impact our society!

About the Nonprofits:

It is impossible to overstate the importance of literacy, yet so many struggle with this crucial skill. So, Scripting Change has decided to donate proceeds from Beyond the Words to not one, but three nonprofits throughout the United States, all of which foster literacy in their communities.

Read for Literacy, in Northwestern Ohio, provides learning opportunities for readers of all ages and backgrounds, with three tailored programs: Creating Young Readers, for children in kindergarten through 2nd grade; Adult Basic Education; and English Language Learners, for non-native English speakers.

Literacy Action, in Atlanta, Georgia, offers an incredibly wide array of literacy programs for adults — from literal reading assistance, to workplace literacy, family literacy & education, and much more, this organization provides its community with crucial support, enhancing so many lives!

Page Ahead, in Seattle, Washington, focuses its literacy efforts on children, allowing elementary-school children to browse book fairs at the end of the school year & choose their own books for the summer — which are then provided to them by Page Ahead! They bolster this program by also working with parents, helping them engage their young readers.

Now it's your turn!

Scripting Change depends entirely upon the support of the community as a whole.  The writers, and our cover designer, have done their part; the coordinators have brought it all together; the bloggers have graciously helped us spread the word – now it's up to the readers.  We hope you will enjoy the anthology!

Beyond the Words is available through: 

Smashwords ~*~ Amazon: US; UK ~*~ Barnes & Noble

Learn more about this project at: ScriptingChange.blogspot.com

Find them on Facebook or on Twitter: @ScriptingChange