Erica Jasmin Dixon
Erica Jasmin Dixon (she/her) is a published writer, poet, and artist. She writes in the genres of literary fiction, poetry, stage plays, and screenplays. Her creative work has appeared in various literary publications in the United States, Canada, and Europe, to include published or forthcoming work in I-70 Review, For Women Who Roar, Genre: Urban Arts, blood orange tarot, and others. To-date, she also has had one stage play produced. Her artwork and photography have also been published and featured in online & print magazines. Erica formerly served as Fiction Editor of QU Literary Magazine, Copy Editor for Brave Voices Magazine and Co-Chair of the Queens University of Charlotte MFA Professional Development Program. She currently serves as Art Director at Southern Review of Books and Staff Writer of an animated comedy web series.
Erica holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from Queens University of Charlotte, where she specialized in literary fiction and writing for stage & screen.
She is originally from the rural South (Raeford, NC) and is an avid adventurer, having lived in Italy and traveled extensively throughout much of Europe, Asia, the United States, and South America. She is also a devoted fan of Star Wars, Marvel and DC comics, and anime. Prior to writing, Erica worked as a preschool teacher and a Registered Behavioral Technician. In addition to writing, Erica also works as an actress and is an ardent lover of improv. Her work often reflects on her life experiences as a Black woman from the South, a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, a social observer/activist, and her knowledge of the psychological. Follow her work on Twitter & Instagram: @TheEricaJasmin. Find more of her work at ericajasmin.com.
Fond of Failure (first published with blood orange tarot, 1st edition, 2020)
failure is my favourite sound
it means I’m getting closer.
eliminating doors not meant for me
the slams – a resounding yes to my ears
one step nearer to breakthrough.
new doors will open brightly
greeting me with the warmth of home
as I reminisce upon my fondest sound.
The Do’s and Don’ts (first published with For Women Who Roar, 2021)
If you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it.
–Zora Neale Hurston
Don’t kneel on a football field during the national anthem,
Don’t peacefully march down the street,
Don’t wear shirts that read “I can’t breathe”,
Don’t burn things down to send a message,
Don’t voice your concerns on television, online, or on any platform,
Don’t wear pins on your lapel that represent your cause.
Do ignore the problems like they don’t exist,
Do agree when racists say that we are the problem,
Do let others decide how you respond to oppression,
Do push down all your pain and tears,
Do stay in the trap that was built for us,
Do go docile into the night.
Don’t be surprised when they still kill you and claim that you liked it.
Love If Only (first published with For Women Who Roar, 2021)
I hate that I’m like this
It’s one of my worst traits
I could love you
If I’d let me
But my soul stamped its foot
Like a surly three year old & proclaimed “No”
I could love you
If broken men hadn’t loved me first
I could love you
If the light of optimism hadn’t left my eye at such a tender age
I could love you
If I sat down and did the shadow work
I could love you
If I loved myself
I could love you
If I didn’t cry myself to sleep
I could love you
If I were logical and didn’t think that it made me look weak
I could love you
If I were untouched.