Watch at Literary Hub:
https://lithub.com/watch-amanda-shires-with-jason-isbell-on-writing-advice-favorite-teachers-and-a-song-or-two/
Click to tweet the video (#MightySONGWriters):Â https://ctt.ac/x90dB
Today, education non-profit Mighty Writers launches a weekly video series of literary-minded musical performances called Mighty SONG Writers, produced in partnership with media platform Literary Hub. Amanda Shires kicks off the series with special guest Jason Isbell, performing three songs and talking about some of their formative writing influences, from Tom T. Hall’s songwriting book to a fifth-grade teacher who made a big impact.
The Mighty SONG Writers series aims to raise money to support Philadelphia-based non-profit Mighty Writers, which teaches reading and writing to thousands of low-income and marginalized students every year and is seeing more need than ever during the pandemic. The series will continue with a new video every Wednesday.
Follow along at Literary Hub to watch the videos and read transcripts of the musicians talking about writing: https://lithub.com/tag/mighty-song-writers/
“There’s never been a more important time for kids to think clearly about the world they’re living in,” says Tim Whitaker, Executive Director of Mighty Writers. “At Mighty Writers, where we teach writing to over 3,000 kids annually in economically-challenged communities, we believe that writing has magical powers, chief among them the ability to think critically and express oneself with clarity. In light of Covid-19, and unprecedented social unrest, we are doubling our efforts at Mighty Writers to reach kids and provide both guidance and venues that allow them to express what they’re feeling through the written word and are thrilled to have the support of these world-class musicians.”
“It’s almost impossible to define the border between literary songwriting and lyrical storytelling,” says Lit Hub editor Jonny Diamond. “Just ask any novelist and you’ll find a few unsung songs scrawled into the back of a notebook… Same thing goes for songwriters—take away the guitar and you’ll probably end up with a short story collection. And that’s what so important about Mighty Writers: whatever the medium, it’s a great thing to give kids the tools to tell their own stories.”