Tag Archives: writing

THE CONUNDRUMS QUOTATIONS PROJECT – CQ-16

Posted on August 12, 2026 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Change starts internally, even before visible transformation occurs. It is about recognizing that the future holds more potential than the past. This perspective emphasizes accountability without letting previous actions define one’s identity. True rehabilitation requires acknowledging mistakes while fostering imagination and opportunity for personal growth and redemption, transcending past limitations. Continue reading →

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THE CONUNDRUMS QUOTATION PROJECT – CQ – 014

Posted on August 3, 2026 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Change requires more than effort; it necessitates examining and rebuilding our foundational beliefs, relationships, and narratives. Genuine transformation involves honest reflection and asking uncomfortable questions about past assumptions that shape our lives. True rehabilitation emerges from replacing fear and isolation with purpose, accountability, and community, crafting a wiser, healthier future. Continue reading →

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A Review of The Black Blood of Poetry’s Impact and Critiques

Posted on April 17, 2026 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

I asked ChatGPT to critically review my manuscript, “The Black Blood of Poetry.” This is what it returned: Continue reading →

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The Black Blood of Poetry: Towards a Poetics of Darkened Substance

Posted on April 11, 2026 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

AbstractThis essay situates The Black Blood of Poetry within a transnational lineage I term dark substance poetics—a tradition in which poetry materializes itself through bodily substances (blood, milk, breath, ink) that are subsequently darkened, inverted, or corrupted. Moving from nineteenth-century … Continue reading →

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Revisiting _The Miseducation of the Negro_ This Black History Month

Posted on February 3, 2026 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Carter G. Woodson’s seminal book, The Miseducation of the Negro, published in 1926, is a book Black folk should periodically revisit, perhaps every three years, ideally every year.  If you are Black and you have not read the book, then … Continue reading →

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Journey Through Crime, Justice & Literature, Part II

Posted on December 23, 2025 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

…Continued (If you missed the first installment, then click here: Journey Through Crime and Punishment, Part I.) Crime and Punishment was first published in The Russian Messenger, a literary journal, in twelve monthly installments in 1866. I reread passages of … Continue reading →

Posted in Justice Chronicles, juveniles, Literature & Cultural Criticism, Murder, Parole, parole board, Politics & Public Affairs, raising black boys, remorse | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Journey Through Crime, Justice & Literature

Posted on December 16, 2025 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

I first became interested in the story of crime and punishment, how we tell those stories, at 16 years of age. Then, three childhood friends were arrested for two homicides. Two were immediately arrested, one was on the run for … Continue reading →

Posted in Justice Chronicles, juveniles, Life Sentences, Literature & Cultural Criticism, Murder, Reentry, Streets of Rage, Urban Impact | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

How to Mentor Teens Effectively

Posted on November 8, 2025 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

When I worked in child welfare more than 20 years ago, my supervisor would assign to me what she thought of as the toughest “cases,” i.e., teenagers, and cases where the child ended up in the system because of an … Continue reading →

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I Know Why the Caged Poet Sings

Posted on October 23, 2025 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Some of my favorite poets happen to be named William – William Shakespeare, William Blake, William Wordsworth, and William Carlos Williams. When I meet most people, I often ask them what their names mean or the backstory of their names. … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass, Growing Up, Justice Chronicles, juveniles, Literature & Cultural Criticism, NYPD, raising black boys, Sometimes Blue Knights Wear Black Hats, Streets of Rage, Urban Impact | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Celebrating 65 Years of Life

Posted on October 1, 2025 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

I saw the best minds of my generation drop out of school and get their education on the streets, in the schools of hard knocks: in group homes, reform schools, jails, reformatories, insane asylums, and prisons. They dropped out of … Continue reading →

Posted in being a teenager, Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass, Politics & Public Affairs, raising black boys, Streets of Rage | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment