Creative Writing Portfolio
a long and wanzy road is the hub for Jawanza Barial-Lumumba's creative works, storytelling, projects, and services. Pieces published across Substack and in other literary journals can be found here; You may also receive updates around larger projects, such as the novel-in-stories, by review this site and joining his mailing list!
recent creative work
Explore recent pieces from Jawanza
rituals, traditions, and practices is a writing prompt that allows writers to reflect for themselves or with a character around their year-end traditions (some for holidays, some for cultural practices, etc.) and how that informs their character...
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(short story)
"So for our next assignment, our professor said that by the end of it, if we don’t think our “you” is working out correctly, we may change the recipient of these entries."
My Epiphany of Genuine Connections – of Friendship, of Relationships, of Self
(personal reflection)
"There’s a simple necessity in wanting to build connections with others. Rarely does solitude strengthen an individual who is trying to find his or her place in a community, in society."
(poem)
"Isolation prevents
the desolation
as pity proceeds
preservation."
Other Recent
Creative Works
More Creative Inspirations
Although Jawanza specializes in short story writing, he is currently exploring a novel-in-stories after completing his first short story collection in 2023. He continues to facilitate and participate in generative writing workshops and feedback-based workshop groups, while also refining and crafting new short stories, dabbling in different forms, and keeping his sights set on future, novel-length projects.
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As a life-long learner and someone who loves storytelling across many mediums, authors like Octavia Butler, N. K. Jemisin, Nnedi Okorafor, Christopher Moore, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, Mark Z. Danielewski, and many others have informed his learning, TV series like LOST, The Good Place, Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel, The Leftovers, Lovecraft Country, Watchmen, and other series have informed substantial storytelling, alongside many movies, graphic novels, comedians, songwriters, and more.