K. Ibura

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K. Ibura is a writer, painter, and traveler from New Orleans, Louisiana. The middle child of five, she grew up in a hardscrabble neighborhood with oak and fig trees, locusts and mosquitoes, cousins and neighbors. K. Ibura's work delves into spheres of human liberation, human connection, and evolution. She employs speculative fiction and creative nonfiction to take readers through mind-bending journeys into the transcendent, the mystical, and the fantastic.

writing

BlogKIS.listartmaking // creativity // inspiration // taking risks // The Salt Eaters // Toni Cade Bambara // writing

Vol. 94: Toni Cade Bambara’s The Salt Eaters

When I was younger, my mother’s bookshelf was my library. It was home to many novels that are central to Black woman’s literature. I could grasp plots that featured grown-up experiences, but much of the subtext and external references escaped me. This didn’t stop me from voraciously consuming everything I could get my hands on… »

Interviewaudio // home ownership // interview // travel // writing

Ask a Solutionista, Volume 1 - K. Ibura

Posted on 9 May 2013

Meet K. Ibura, Solutionista: artist mother world traveler speculative fiction writer homeowner K. shares her inspiring story, tosses us some pearls, and reads a story from her new collection, Ancient, Ancient.

BlogKIS.listcover letters // Self-promotion // writing

Vol. 36, Cover Letters

Posted on 6 September 2003

New York, NY It strikes me as interesting that powerful writing in one genre doesn’t necessarily translate into powerful writing in another. While I consider my short stories and essays to be powerful, my skill in writing plays is weak and I am still struggling with novel writing. What brings about this rumination on genre… »

BlogKIS.listfaith // KIS.list // rejections // the writing life // writing // writing struggles

Vol. 27, Writing is Fighting

Posted on 6 September 2002

Novelists for Life Cybergroup Cyberspace On my novelists e-group, we are always discussing writing. The processes of writing, the challenges, the failures and successes, what scares us about it, how we triumphed over an obstacle or a block. During one of our discussions on writing, a member of the list, Angel Shannon wrote: ishmael reed… »

BlogKIS.listClarion West // craft of writing // rejection // rejection/acceptance o'meter // writing // writing life // writing struggles

Vol. 25, The Alchemy of Writing

Posted on 2 July 2002

A True Story She is a high-minded woman, and hates complaining, so she suffers the demands of her craft with little comment. She bows down to each of writing’s demands, barely stopping to consider the rationality of the requests. She works hard to save thousands, then blows it all on an intimate trip for two:… »

BlogKIS.listasemic // Clarion West // communication // creativity // Dominican Republic // experimental fiction // freewriting // inspiration // K. Ibura // KIS.list // language // Nalo Hopkinson // Red Clay // rejection // techniques // word play // Writer // writer's block // writing // writing life // zine

Vol. 7, Freewriting and Asemic Writing

Posted on 27 September 2001

A few months ago Tim Gaze, a zine editor interested in experimental fiction asked me to write a piece for his zine. He had read the first speculative short story I had ever written, “Of Wings, Nectar, and Ancestors,” in the literary journal Anansi and wanted to read more similar work. In “Of Wings, Nectar,… »

BlogKIS.listappearances // audience // Clarion West // embarrassment // erotica // fear // hiding out // K. Ibura // KIS.list // listeners // nerves // performance // practice // Promotion // pushing your career // Radio // reading // representing yourself // responsibility // Self-promotion // strippers // WBAI // writing // writing struggles

Vol. 4, A Conversation about Self Promotion

Posted on 2 September 2001

The Living Room of a Writer’s Apartment Brooklyn, NY I’ve been writing and publishing stories and essays since 1990. In the beginning I never read my work at all. When people were looking for writers to read at events, I’d refuse; when pushed, I’d be noncommittal. When I did promise to read, I would leave… »

BlogKIS.listbaby steps // Cave Canem // Clarion West // Growing as a writer // Jack Womack // K. Ibura // KIS.list // Nalo Hopkinson // novel structure // novel writing // poetry challenge // rejection // rejection/acceptance o'meter // the artist life // writer's groups // writing // writing advice // writing organization // writing struggles // writing trips

Vol. 3, Novel Writing

Posted on 22 August 2001

Femail Circle Cyberspace I’m on a cyber-circle with a group of women from college. We’re almost all writers. We talk about life and work and encourage each other to go beyond our comfort zones in lots of ways. Last summer, one member, upon return from Cave Canem challenged us all to write a poem a… »