In two weeks, I will be celebrating eight special years on DeviantART. I know I have expressed this before – but I – and others here I have been privileged to know – have come a long way since the early years on site. We have weathered many changes, experienced enjoyable highs and disappointing lows, and have certainly become a much stronger, unified community, that I am very honored to be a part of, everyday. I continue to be amazed at how we have all grown wonderfully together, forming a unified kinship!

Many here know of my invaluable experiences on the Community Relations team. As I celebrate another year of Deviousness, I reflect fondly on my memories and experiences on the team. Sometimes, it seems surreal that this journey for me began three years ago; it still feels like yesterday having had the rare honor of working alongside beloved Literature deviants like `GeneratingHype, who I still miss terribly, everyday – the wonderful !lovetodeviate, who has long since left the site, but Aditi's mark is tremendously felt, just as Bill's always will be. And, of course, `StJoan, who was always the team's core strength. I never ceased to be amazed at the memory of Ali's strong determination to see things through. And one of my most dearest of friends here; who I simply cannot imagine DeviantART without – $wreckling, who has had quite an exciting journey himself. I am honored to have served with him, and am very proud of his DeviantART achievements. I also wanted to take a moment to again thank the lovely $fourteenthstar, who presented me with the Deviousness Award three years ago, as a reminder that my hard-working efforts towards the community I so love have not gone unnoticed.

I am indeed truly fortunate and blessed to have had rare opportunities to serve the community I deeply cherish. I will be forever indebted to all of those who saw something reflected within me far greater than I could have imagined at the time. These continuing efforts to stand by my side, offering me unfailing support today, will always mean the world to me. This caring support has meant a great deal throughout my seven years on DeviantART. I fondly look forward to several more anniversaries – hoping to serve as an example to those looking for a role model. I do desire to continue to advocate the importance of positivity and unity. For those looking for a beacon in the darkness to help guide them, I pray they know that they are not alone here.



For those not as acquainted with me, my journal is a wonderful place to find some tidbits about what is going on in the Literature world. However, that being said, you will want to keep an eye out also for various other news postings from your Literature Community Volunteers, and please take a moment to add them to your watch, so you will not miss out on a thing! Oh, and do not forget about our own resident tweeter, *Lit-Twitter, who always does a fantastic job collecting several more tidbits for us in all things Lit. Scrolling down, you will also find information geared towards other contests, groups and other news various links all related to Literature, so be sure to check them out.

My monthly Ladies of Lit series officially arrived last August. At any time, if there is a literature female deviant that you feel merits a feature; please Note me. Also, not sure who has already been featured? Take a look at the current listing. Along with that, I host a variety of group projects, a tri-monthly 30 Writers to Discover series, and the ongoing Writers Welcome Wagon.

Ladies of Lit Issue: Volume Thirty-One.
Latest Volume of 30 Wonderful Writers.
Writers Welcome Wagon Project.
The Sweetest Deviant has been announced!
A wonderful Resources and Critique article courtesy of the #LitResources staff.
Get yourself Exposed, and read up on some tips for getting to know Deviants in Lit.
The Literature CVs need your Feedback on the Literature Gallery Restructure!
The CVs are resurrecting The Exquisite Corpse.
The CVs wants to know Who Cares About the Lit Community.
Love Prose? Venture on over Here and lend the CVs your expertise.
The #Elocutionists are hosting a Poetry Slam. The deadline is May 31st.
`GrimFace242 wants you to write About Dialectical Desserts! The deadline is June 21st.

Within the community, there are several Literature chatrooms to visit that might be of interest to you. However, if you feel uncomfortable in these chatrooms, you might find what you are looking for in the revamped Literature Forums. There are also several critique and prompt groups available for use towards all of your Literature-related needs. Below, you will find just a small sampling of what the community has to offer you:

#CRLiterature The official DeviantART Literature chatroom.
#Writersforlife Write, mingle, learn and keep writing for life.
#Writeroom Looking for tips, ideas and more, the Writeroomies are here for you.
#Cabal Srs bsns of literary discussion.

#CritiqueIt DeviantART's Quality Critique Club.
#Writers-Workshop Where the Writers Workshop Writing.
#ScreamPrompts Are You A Writer?
#HammeredPoetry Sick of clichés…Us Too.
#transliterations From One World to Another.
#LITplease A Club for Every Writer.

Throughout DeviantART, there are a number of resourceful news articles filled with features, contests and much, much more. Several deviants keep the literature community in the know with these articles. I am honored to present the creme of the crop, and invite you to fully explore what each article has to offer.

The Lit Gallery Volunteers' April Lit Daily Deviations. and Official CR Journal Updates.
`IrrevocableFate Loves DA Lit! Contests, Various Groups, Workshops and More.
~wyldhoney finds Writers With Promise.
*SadisticIceCream has Publishing Resources.
`apocathary also has a collection of Miscellaneous Resources.
=julietcaesar does as well in Her Journal.
`GrimFace242 is looking for some Group Therapy and Undiscovered Deviants in Lit.
^NicSwaner uncovers an amazing E-Literature Catalog.
^neurotype goes in search of Funny Lit Deviants.
~Mahi-Fish shares a Handy Poetry Checklist.
`mirz-alt helps us follow a Literary Compass.
=star-blazer picks out amazing Monthly Daily Lit and discovers dAuthors.
=DrippingWords wants to Talk Writing.
`HaveTales-WillTell is all Lit Up.
`LiliWrites's got an eye for those who are Demonstrably Deviant.
=TwilightPoetess calls for Literary Conversation.
*SadisticIceCream answers questions about Publishing.
`Jon-Law writes A Brilliant Writing Guide.

With the official groups feature in full swing, there is a whole array of Literature groups to join and support. Below, you will have the opportunity to check out just a few of the newest ones on DeviantART. And, if there is a group not listed here that may interest you, you might want to check out the official Literature Group Hub.

#AllLiteratureWelcome, #Glory-Be-Project, #LitLoveCommunity, #Writeandread, #The-Writing-Group, #PennyStories, #skinnywords, #How-To-Write-A-Book, #paper-forests,  #Poetry-Passion, #PassionforLiterature, #INeedAPen, #WritingMoreThanWords, #Literaturean, #NaHaiWriMo, #WriteInWinter, #Writers-Drive, #TheTitlePage, #minimalit, #WritingUniversal, #Peculiar-Poetry, #FreeVersePoetry, #All-For-Writing, #TheWritersWareHouse, #The-Asterismos, #OfSweetSerendipity, #TheMarmaladeTree, #wordsinwaves, #Poetry-Watchers, ~Bird-And-Bear, #Audio-Available, #Written-Expressions, #Writer-Promotion, #theScienceofPoetry, #DeviantWritersUnited, #WRITE-THE-LITERATURE.
#We-The-Writers, #Freedom-In-Words, #Free-Write-Project, #sanguinesmiles.

--Any other Literature news that you would like to see in this reserved space? Note me.

Lit Community Leaders

Biscuits and YouWe used to fight over the custard creams. Not over who consumed them, but about the art of tea dunking. He would always criticise my dunking technique and I'd retaliate. I personally thought the best way to dunk a custard cream was to eat the first half, remove the cream and then only dunk the second half; I've always done it this way. He on the other hand treated the custard cream like its Oreo cousin and went for a twist, lick and dunk. They're not the same as Oreos- dunking Oreos in tea ruins both tea and biscuit alike.

Our tea drinking, biscuit dunking ritual was our time together with nobody else. The conversations started light; usuall Absenceas fingers on ivory and ebony - the waltz between alto and soprano
between drum and violin; the duets that never left karaoke bars.
as a war widow in a graveyard that does not contain her husband's worm-ridden corpse
but she visits anyway, because though he is a foreign country and half a century from her grasp,
the memories - the candlelight and the knee he bent and the way her mother cried at the news -
all remain
and tombstones are a melody she can follow.
as a poet misses the page.
as a dancer misses the stage.
as an alcoholic misses the first sip.
as a lover misses the first lips 
ever she tasted.
I miss you the way a heart beats -
consistently, autonomously, relentlessly -
until the end of my days. I Have Hope I have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I have to remember to breathe every time those words come, I don’t want to believe it. I still can’t believe it. I remember the first time my counselor looked at me and told me that my depression and anxiety might be something more. Great, I thought, What could possibly be worse than this?

Firstly, PTSD is not a disorder that only affects our war heroes, though that is what it’s commonly associated with. My own first thoughts were: “isn’t that a disorder for war veterans or someone who witnessed war first-hand?“ The truth is there are many causes for Post Traumatic Stress Cain's ConceptionEve has been in pain
for months, it seems, swelling
the way an ocean wave does
until it crashes, and the things
she wants to eat! I do not want
to be made into a murderer,
but she loves bluebirds
with honeycomb, and sometimes
tuber plants. Pecks and pricks
aside, it's worth it when she finds
the taste she wants. Sometimes
she swears her stomach is
kicking, and I tease her. "If
it's kicking, then no wonder it
gets bigger!"

Some mornings she wanders
to plants while I am resting
and some strange bird I haven't
named yet begins to lurch. It is
possibly the worst noise I have heard
yet, and I relate it to the feeling
a skunk'

_{Featuring works by: ^Beccalicious, `LiliWrites, `IrrevocableFate and $wreckling.}

If you stop by, and would like to begin your journey on my DA homepage, may I suggest starting here. Also, if you are new to DA and need further assistance, please feel free to contact me if you cannot find what you are looking for in the FAQ section found here.

My official DeviantART Prayer Support Log. If there is someone you know who is in need of support, do let me know at any time and I will add them to the log.

I like to support Literature here by adding literature clubs/groups to my watch. If I have yet to add yours, feel free to leave me a comment.

Who is serving the Literature Community and what can they do for you? Your Community Volunteers for Literature are listed below as follows, along with their guidelines. You can freely contact them at any time with your questions or concerns.

^Beccalicious DD Suggestion Guidelines.
^neurotype   DD Suggestion Guidelines.
^NicSwaner   DD Suggestion Guidelines.

And, of course, here are some lovely stamps, to show your support!





Please stop by #The-Novelist-Club and feel free to join us, whether you are a writer, a poet, reader, or even a critic - we'd love to have you. We are currently accepting regular submissions and various pieces for our Workshops, so please show your support to these wonderful writers and stop by.

Looking to join a fun group which supports the exciting era of Abraham Lincoln by paying homage to his memory with fun panel discussions, Q and A sessions, book reviews and much, much more? Then #TheLincolnLegacy is the perfect place for you. Walks of all artistic life are warmly welcomed here.

#LungCancer-Awareness was created to bring awareness to a well-known cancer that has not only impacted the daily lives of the members of my own family – but so many others around us. Anything that you can do to promote awareness within your community can and will make a difference!

Wanting to keep an eye on all things Literature on DeviantART, and not sure where to turn? Your official Literature home #CRLiterature, is the place to find everything you could possibly want, from generalized information, resources, contests and more, so do not miss out.

Looking for some of the latest news about your Daily Deviations or that news article you may missed over the course of the month? Well then, #LitResources may be the very place for you to catch up on all of the latest happenings.

Everyone is welcome over at our group, And we realize that every writer has their own personality, interests, strengths and weaknesses, so we aim to provide unique pathways into the community for everyone. So go on - sign yourself up and get exposed over at #Expose-Lit.

Our judges at #TalentedWritersGuild are looking for your quality literature! So, if you have something that you feel will simultaneously move us, challenge us, and inspire us as readers - then we are the very group for you.

Looking for a delightful and positively charged environment to post your work and give others some encouragement and support? Then look no further than #ProjectPositivity.

I have added several updates to our local club #Indiana-Deviants, so if you are from Indiana, or just interested in Hoosier related news, please, by all means, join us! We would be more than happy to have you there. We are always looking to accept new submissions.

Najia has a beautiful writing style. Her gallery is packed full of a wide variety of elegant poetry, ranging from narrative to emotional. But, no matter what her style is, she writes it all in a fresh and clever way.  

*toxic-nebulae