Today an editorial on the occasion of having posted 91 poems, stories, reflections written by you, my friends.

Why 91? Well, 91 is 7 times 13. 4 times 91 plus one (or 2) is the number of days in a year. There are 91 steps in 4 directions to the top of some Mayan temples. And now there are 91 examples of a woman's voice singing out into the world.

It's been interesting. I didn't know what—if anything—would happen. So many voices, so many moods. So many dreams.

Also, so many veils. Veils themselves are beautiful, the silk of syllables, the burlap of brooding. The most important thing is that, even as we draw our verbal veils around our nakedness, we remain true to our desire, that we do not let anybody dissuade us from our voice and what it wants to sing or cry or even cough up in discomfort.

My own voice has been trampled on by judgment—sentimental, over the top, too sweet, too something, just not right. So it is especially important for me to listen to and to encourage all our voices. Raw diamonds, cut diamonds, polished diamonds. Sweet diamonds. Angry diamonds.

In women's magazines—as, for that matter, in literary magazines—the theme is usually to be beautiful, to make ourselves attractive to the world. From time to time, there are rebellious features of women looking ugly, grim, provocative. We are a world of many faces. Sometimes I think our main face is the face of love and yearning.

The greatest harm to our voice is our insecurity. Sometimes it keeps us from saying what we have really wanted to say. Are we reaching an audience? Are we pleasing an audience?  Are we doing it wrong? Are we interesting enough? Are we respectable enough?  

And I want to say, does any of that matter? So I will keep inviting you to say what you have always wanted to say. Trust yourself.

Thank you for sharing your precious voices. Gracias. Grazie. Merci. Danke.

Keep sending words my way. Until further notice I have lifted any and all deadlines. Let's see what happens. I still don't know what—if anything—will happen. More magic perhaps. I already have magic lined up for the next 30 days or so. The rest depends on you, your voices, your courage. (PS, as ever, I am willing to post things anonymously if that what it takes to draw out your voice.) 

By encouraging you I encourage myself to let go of the warnings and indoctrinations, to undo the fetters, to live and to write who I want to be.

We are not here to be quiet.