Write Now: Featuring Myliyah Hanna

​The online writing community is a small one. Good news – and bad – travels fast. But so, too, are new voices uplifted and given outlets to grow, thrive, and find their own creative path. No matter what an era brings, writers find ways to contextualize realities, build worlds, and expand audiences’ imaginations. That’s as true for a newcomer as it is for a seasoned author.

In this installment, meet Myliyah Hanna from Chicago, Illinois.

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We’ve made it to 2021 and that in and of itself feels like cause for celebration. Barely two months into the new year and in the middle of Black History Month, we reflect on the challenges we continue to face as a society with so much to overcome while still recognizing (and celebrating) even the smallest of victories.

The online writing community is a small one. Good news – and bad – travels fast. But so, too, are new voices uplifted and given outlets to grow, thrive, and find their own creative path. No matter what an era brings, writers find ways to contextualize realities, build worlds, and expand audiences’ imaginations. That’s as true for a newcomer as it is for a seasoned author.

In this ongoing series, Write Now, we will highlight writers from around the world at different stages in their careers. From how they’re managing to write amidst a pandemic, to sharing their favorite personal work, we’ll take a look at what it means to persevere as a writer when the world spins faster than ever around us.

In this installment, meet Myliyah Hanna from Chicago, Illinois.

Q: What do you typically write about and where does your inspiration come from?

Now that I’ve found my stride in the personal essay, I tend to write about femininity, Blackness, and anything that falls in between the two. Inspiration comes from everyday life, and it helps that I’m surrounded by little quirks, sayings, and not just family moments but political moments, too. I think about how as a young, Black woman, I can offer a new perspective on something that a reader may never have considered before.

Q: What is a favorite line of yours that you’ve written? A favorite piece?

I’m really fond of an essay I wrote about an uncle of mine who passed before I was born, titled “Everybody Knew Everybody Knew Everybody.” My favorite line from it:

In the dreams you do not remember, Uncle Sean tosses the baseball high into the air, where it rotates and casts a shadow over his face. It turns into the sun and he catches it, but it doesn’t burn him. For a moment, it’s too bright and you can’t tell the difference between him and the light. He is there, glowing and forever.

Q: What are some of your favorite literary magazines and/or writers you enjoy following online?

I follow so many magazines as they pop up on my feed and I become familiar with their work. I’ve been following Cheap Pop since they first published my piece, “Be Conscious of Form.” I love following writers like Meg Pillow and Morgan Jerkins, both of whom constantly put out incredible work while still living their lives, even under challenging circumstances.

Q: What does a typical day of creative work look like for you?

When I’m sitting with my words and working through a piece, I tend to have a cup of something to drink beside me, both my journal and my laptop, and a playlist dedicated to the project. I get into the zone and let my fingers fly until I hit a pause, or the wind dies down on its own. Some pieces, like a project I’ve been working on for some time now, requires some research and analysis that all goes into my day journal.

Q: What advice would you have for young writers feeling overwhelmed by events out of their control and unable to focus on their craft?
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It’s okay to feel overwhelmed. Allow yourself to recognize those feelings and if you need a break from your work to do other things that bring you joy, give yourself the permission to do so. While writing is both enjoyable and cathartic, it is also hard. You may feel a need to write about what’s happening around you – to make sense of things, or feel ‘timely’ in what you’re delivering, but that’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself. Focus on your mental health and your happiness. The writing will come with that. 

Myliyah Hanna is an upcoming essayist from the Bronx and a graduate of the University of Virginia. Her work has been published in Cheap Pop and Zora. She maintains a personal blog at myliyahhanna.com. She has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, the Best of Small Fictions award, and the Best of the Net award. She lives in Chicago with her cat Jasper. You can follow her on Twitter @minimeme.