The Fourteenth of September by Rita Dragonette

Crowd control funneled us drivers into the epicenter of a demonstration that would hours later result in massive destruction, however right-intentioned and peacefully it began. May 30 found me in traffic in the middle of the first Chicago Black Lives Matter protest. and should you? Since my protest days, I’ve been concerned about the hamster wheel of history, how we seem not to acknowledge the lessons of the past and the parallels to the present: a big reason I wrote my novel The Fourteenth of September, about campus Vietnam protests and the Kent State shootings, which happened fifty years ago on May 4. When George Floyd’s televised murder and reaction, is startlingly similar to a historical incident depicted in your own two-year-old novel, how do you manage privilege and political correctness to revitalize interest in your story.

For us, it’s important to create a space to celebrate both the established and emerging writers who’ve attended our conference, and share their stories with you. To honor the launch of our new Literary Season Online, offering a fully online season with 6 virtual conferences (spanning one week each month, October through March) full of world-class keynotes and faculty, engaging panels and workshops, individual consultations, Late Night Live and literary events, networking and more, we have started a guest blog series.

The Fourteenth of September by Rita Dragonette