On Excavation #003: That Which Endures Pt 1: Sara Elise

In the early days of my archival research, I relished the excitement of finding group photos of my favorite writers. Those experiences left me wanting to explore the origins of the #crewlove I was witnessing generations later. Their stories intrigued me, but it was my realization of the connections to other writers in my own archive that sparked a fiery determination inside me. In the months that followed, I became less invested in the idea of individual genius and more concerned with creative constellations and acknowledging the chorus of voices within the contemporary literary community (1). My interest in and commitment to sharing the lives of writers and the communities we build with each other encouraged me to launch Black Women Writers Project. I needed a space to capture the wonder and joy I experienced as an archival researcher engaging the archive for personal growth and development rather than towards a book project or dissertation. I expected nothing of the archives and welcomed everything they were willing to offer. I jumped from Cheryl Clarke, to Ann Petry, to Lorraine Hansberry, to Akasha Gloria Hull.

An archive never just tells the story of one life. It also bears witness to the collaborators, lovers, sisterfriends, and supporters who journeyed alongside a writer. My personal archive is brimming with snippets from the lives of so many friends who have and continue to share their creativity with the world. I find myself often needing reminders that I am also the archive. I write and am curious about Black women writers because it is an experience I live daily. My identity as a Black woman writer affirms my understanding of myself, my role in community, and my duty to face my work.(2)

“An archive never just tells the story of one life. It also bears witness to the collaborators, lovers, sisterfriends, and supporters who journeyed alongside a writer. ”

Scan of a “raffle” ticket from December 17, 2011, used as an entry ticket to the house party where I met Sara for the second time. That night marks the official beginning of our friendship.

I recently found an image of me and my dear friend and writer Sara Elise in my Bed-Stuy apartment in 2012. The details of the day are murky. I cannot recall who took the photo. I’m not sure what we were celebrating. But I remember the feeling of holding her close. I remember the warmth of our embrace in my final days in the city that made me. This is why I do this work. To show the in between of a creative life. These are the moments I want to remember and be remembered by. These are the moments that endure.

Sara Elise is a community cultivator and interdisciplinary creative, splitting her time between Brooklyn and The Catskills, New York, with experience primarily in the hospitality and design, well-being, and food industries. Sara is author of A Recipe for More, her debut book released with Harper Collins in May 2023.

Notes
1. This idea of a “chorus” comes from Toni Cade Bambara’s interview in Black Women Writers at Work
2. I learned a lot about this via Akwaeke Emezi
————

That Which Endures is a series of reflections by BWWP founder keondra bills freemyn that explores artifacts related to Black women and gender-expansive writers in her personal archives. The series takes its name from Gwendolyn Brooks’ definition of art.