First, The Importance of Literacy
“Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a tool for daily life in modern society. It is a bulwark against poverty, and a building block of development, an essential complement to investments in roads, dams, clinics and factories. Literacy is a platform for democratization, and a vehicle for the promotion of cultural and national identity. Especially for girls and women, it is an agent of family health and nutrition. For everyone, everywhere, literacy is, along with education in general, a basic human right . . . . Literacy is, finally, the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman and child can realize his or her full potential.”
-Kofi Annan – a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1997 to December 2006. Annan and the United Nations were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize “for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world.”
Fine Lines is dedicated to the development of writers and artists of all ages.
What started out as a classroom newsletter in 1991 has now turned into a 50 state writing network and a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit, educational organization. The first issue was 4 pages long and allowed students many opportunities to show others clear thinking and proper written expression. Each quarterly issue is about 300 pages filled with fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art by “authors and artists in process” who wish to improve their composition craft.
Fine Lines receives creative writing from authors of all occupations. Prose articles of medium length, reflective essays on widely diverse topics that reflect life experiences, what one learns through the writing process, and poetry in all forms. We printed writing from an 8-year-old, several pieces from a 94-year-old great-grandmother, from ministers, janitors, doctors, lawyers, scientists, and students of all educational levels. We have published writers from all 50 states in this country, 32 foreign countries: the Alsatian Islands, Azerbaijan, Australia, Barbados, Canada, China, Denmark, Dubai, England, Germany, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Hawaii, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Jordan, Poland, Russia, Scotland, Sicily, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and a US Navy aircraft carrier in the South Pacific.
To paraphrase George Orwell, good writing is like a window pane
The editors of Fine Lines hope to assist developing writers see through their windows more clearly. The bottom line of our efforts in this project is to help writers develop their full potential. We often see ourselves as “writing coaches,” and we value your participation in this endeavor very much. Our editors work with the following guidelines:
- Fine Lines provides publication opportunities for writers of all ages.
- Our journal is one way for schools to achieve their writing goals.
- Good writing begins with a proper, positive attitude.
- All teachers should be writing teachers.
- Schools can order Fine Lines for their teachers, students, and administrators.
- Fine Lines values reader input.
- Many English departments and libraries support this project.
- Send email file attachments in Microsoft Word and the MLA format, full submission guidelines here.
- All writing genres are accepted. We print photography and other art forms.
- Fine Lines does not publish profanity, sexuality, or extreme violence.Remember Kofi Annan’s words: “Literacy is, finally, the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman and child can realize his or her full potential.” Join Fine Lines. Help us improve world literacy.
Write on,
David Martin Managing Editor