Drop a Pen and tell us your 916 story.
Drop a Pen is a collaborative project by 916 Ink and a team of local artists supported by the City of Sacramento’s Creative Corps funding.
Our team is creating an anthology of stories from and about North and South Sacramento.
We encourage people of all ages and from all Sacramento experiences to submit. We celebrate all content, narratives, and perspectives.
We are looking forward to stories of history, nostalgia, joy, overcoming, and everything in-between. We accept all forms of writing including but not limited to poetry, prose, screenplays, lyrics, fiction and non-fiction essays.
Tell us the stories of YOUR neighborhood.
60 submissions will be published and awarded $150 for their contribution.
SUBMISSIONS OPEN THROUGH APRIL 30, 2024.
Share your North & South Sac Story!
Share your North & South Sac Story!
Eligibility requirements
All ages!
Of or related to (living in or working in) to one or more of the following Zip Codes:
95815, 95822, 95823, 95824, 95828, 95833, 95838, 95660
Submission Requirements
Length – 3 pages max or 1600 words
Writing style: Poetry, prose, playwriting, screenwriting, interview, songwriting, essays, and other writing forms
Why Drop a Pen?
We aim to amplify the voices of communities that have been historically marginalized in Sacramento, specifically in North Sacramento (95833, 95838, 95815, 95660) and South Sacramento (95828, 95823, 95822, 95824).
We recognize the importance of sharing the true stories from community members so that the wider Sacramento community can better understand and support the needs of those in these neighborhoods. Through community submissions, we aim to bring forward social justice issues and their history. We also wish to share the joy, stories of growth, and those making important contributions in their neighborhoods to celebrate the beauty that often gets overlooked.
With authentic contributions and representation from these neighborhoods, we aim to tell the true stories of North and South Sacramento.
ABOUT THE TEAM
Artist Liasons:
Coon the poet
Christopher M. Coon, professionally known as Coon The Poet, affectionately know as Brother Coon, is a seasoned youth mentor Life Coach with a 15-year career in youth development. With over a decade of expertise in fields such as AOD (Alcohol or other Drugs), Education, and Mental Health and human services, Brother Coon is dedicated to making a difference. What sets him apart is his personal journey, having overcome adverse childhood experiences and embracing trauma-informed care principles. Specializing in youth and young men, particularly those of color aged 7 to 17, he is the owner and CEO of "Coon The Poet," a Consulting and Edutainment Company, where he utilizes art therapy and innovative techniques to inspire growth and healing. As the visionary founder of Wear Your Heart Incorporated, Brother Coon continues to have a profound impact in the field. His dedication and passion inspire all those fortunate enough to collaborate with him.
ANDRU DEFEYE, Sacramento Poet Laureate 2020 - 2025
Whether sharing stages with legendary beat poets or your favorite Hip Hop emcees, Andru Defeye’s unorthodox writing and performance style has made him a fixture behind microphones around the country. 2020 saw the release of his critically acclaimed Frequency album followed shortly after by his crowning as the youngest Poet Laureate in California capitol history. In 2021, Defeye was listed by Sacramento Magazine as one of the city’s 100 business leaders and nominated to receive an honorary doctorate from CSUS. In 2022 he joined the ranks of some of the most celebrated poets in the country as an Academy of American Poets fellow and brought Sacramento Poetry Day (October 26th) to life creating a locally sourced curriculum, collection, and contest and bringing it to over 250,000 youth in the Sacramento area. In 2023 these efforts earned him a key to the city making him one of the city’s youngest and only artist recipients of such an honor.
From Sacramento to Staten Island and SXSW, Andru Defeye served as the Director of Communications for Sol Collective from 2009-2020. In 2014 Defeye founded Zero Forbidden Goals, a support system for creatives dedicated to innovating arts equity, experiences, and education. ZFG’s guerrilla art activations including National Guerrilla Poetry Month, Chainlink Poetry, The Intersection, and The First Church of Poetry have been covered and recreated around the globe.
The Forgotton one
Born and bred in Del Paso Heights, The Forgotton One, A.K.A. Aaron Cardoza, has carved out his space in Sacramento’s spoken word landscape over the last two decades. Influenced by the unfiltered storytelling of Tupac Shakur, The Forgotton One’s performances on stages from Sacramento’s Mahogany Urban Poetry Series and Talk Back Tuesdays to the New York Poetry Lounge reflect his commitment to championing narratives from his community that often go unnoticed.
Beyond the stage, The Forgotton One has extended his work to the airwaves, hosting the radio show Hip Hop After Dark on KDEE 97.5 alongside DJ Supe, One Gone, and Lucky Gold for the past three years. This radio show serves as a platform for the diverse voices within the Sacramento hip-hop community. Tune in every Saturday night from 9pm-1am.
The 916 Ink Team:
Paulette Greenhouse,
Nyeree Boyadjian, &
Eman Salem
Read about them here.
This activity is funded in part by the California Arts Council, a state agency.
