Traycee Lynn. Photo, Courtesy Of Writer Blocks

On October 17, Traycee Lynn hosted the second Annual Literary Showcase for her newspaper Writer Blocks with a song of thanks. A hush fell over the bustling crowd as Lynn sang her appreciation to her sponsors, patrons and readers atop a stage draped with an intricate gold netted tapestry.

The décor at the Rotunda on 40th Street and Walnut Street-- a mélange of amber and crimson leaves, tea lights, scattered branches and rich gold textiles, was a testament to the fair autumn weather. Renderings by local painter Oronde Kairi, of black musicians such as Left Eye and Ella Fitzgerald hung on the walls behind various vendors of food, arts and crafts, and books. After her song, Lynn again expressed thanks for the contributions that carried Writer Blocks into its second year of circulation.

Like the newspaper, the showcase included elements to entertain, educate and inform. The Headline Theater Company (the brain child of Power 99 FM DJ Tiffany Bacon), performed a segment that addressed the inner conflict of a young, gay black man coming out while dealing with his family and friends. Professor A. Karim Darwish, an instructor for Temple University's Pan-African Studies Community Education Program, briefed the audience on the basics of stress elimination.

Before introducing the talent, Lynn explained how each featured artist inspired her. For instance, while listening to the debut album by Philadelphia-based cellist, Monica McIntyre, Blusolaz, she became encouraged to create the poem, You Know Art, which has been published in Paint Magazine. McIntyre then performed, tickling and tugging her cello to a medley of popular R&B, Pop and Soul Funk. The Divine Glory Praise dancers and Art & Soul shared the spotlight. Choice audience members were featured on the open-mic.

Lynn, who is the editor-in-chief and founder of Writer Blocks, said that the showcase was "a good way for the readers to connect with the people they have been reading about this year." She created her newspaper because "I wanted people to know about us."

Lynn, 28, migrated to Philadelphia from Harrisburg in 1996 to attend Temple University. Since graduating in 2000, Lynn has established a book scholarship award for graduates of her alma mater high school in Harrisburg. Lynn has also founded The Remedy, which she describes as "a youth outreach event of spoken word."

During its infancy, Writer Blocks was a two-page newsletter printed on letterhead. Lynn developed the publication while she navigated her way through the Philadelphia poetry scene (she was Slam Champion in the 2001 Nathaniel Gadsen slam). She created the newsletter to give local artists the recognition she felt they deserved. She explains, "Some of them were talented but were not able to afford the production it takes to put together a CD. I just felt like, 'I still think they're good' and I wanted people to know about them." She produced the newsletter and passed it out at open-mic venues such as October Gallery's Panoramic Poetry and Kryptonite. At the time, she was working on her own spoken word CD, Reactions to Life, which she released under the name ministree.

After months of independently financing the newsletter, Lynn decided to locate a sponsor. She found Resources for Human Development (RHD) and applied for sponsorship from its New Beginnings Incubator, which fiscally sponsors and aids artists and entrepreneurs who have conceptualized non-profit programs that have a community interest. The New Beginnings Incubator has provided funding for organizations such as the Please Touch Museum, Philadelphia Cares and ArtReach..

Today, Writer Blocks is a service of the Society for Urban Literary Arts (SULA) a non-profit organization founded by Lynn. Under SULA, Lynn also facilitates the Urban Writers Support Group for seasoned writers and novices looking to develop and improve their writing styles. Writer Blocks is an effort to reach out to the urban community through literature and other forms of self expression. As stated on the Writer Blocks website, SULA "[believes] in the healing power of writing and art [and] aims to provide a supportive environment and literary outlet to writers and artists of urban communities and backgrounds."

Writer Blocks has advanced to an eight-page bi-monthly newspaper distributed in 200 locations throughout Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Delaware, Chicago and New York. Thirty thousand copies are distributed each year. Readers range in age from eighteen to fifty-five. Writer Blocks, Lynn explains, "supports independent artists and community events that are geared toward the urban community and low-income households. I tend to publish material that will uplift and motivate improvement in literary arts and the overall African American community." The paper has given many authors their first bylines. It has spotlighted local artists and community events, and has featured surveys on topics of interest to the urban community. The last issue, published in September included the poll, "Can having a Black or Ethnic Name Hurt your Job Application? If So, Should Black Parents Begin to Conform or Move Forward?" The latest issue highlights the comings and goings of local artists Cassendre Xavier, Oronde Kairi and Ashura. In addition, the front page headlined an article on native Philadelphia singer Jill Scott, days after she released her second CD, Beautifully Human.

Lynn reflects that publishing the newspaper has helped her on three levels: mind, body and spirit. "I'm growing and educating myself and others through the material I publish. I feel good in my body when I help other artists and writers…it's like a blissful high. That's how I know this work is a part of my calling, a part of my spirit."

She has also taken her enthusiasm for helping artists to another medium: radio. The Word, a show hosted by October Gallery's October Live internet radio segment, featured interviews with spoken word artists and musicians. "We had people come in and share their work, their views, and announce things that were going on in the spoken word scene," she says, adding that listeners had tuned in from Africa to California. "We would have listeners post to the message board and they would let us know where they were listening from." Now on temporary hiatus, The Word will resume later this year after the October Gallery's Annual Art Expo.

Taking career path direction from "wherever the words lead," Lynn, who has been an author for more than ten years, explains, "What lies ahead is something greater and bigger than my imagination and my most impossible dream. That's why I say, 'wherever the words lead' because I feel like all of this work is gradually preparing me."

The current issue of Writer Blocks can read at www.writerblocks.com.

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