Deliah Lawrence's Blog, page 5

National Poetry Month’s Feature: Poet: Alisa Howard aka A. Howard

Poet’s Bio: Alisa Howard, formerly known in the publishing world asAn Howard and most recently rebranded as A. Howard, is the Owner of AHP Writingand Editing Co., previously recognized as An Howard Publishing, established in2011. Howard boasts a diverse portfolio as a published author, with her poetrycollection, "Whispers of Words Spoken," along with her roles as awriter and editor.

Howard's writing journey began inchildhood, journaling stories and poetry, which evolved into professional rolesincluding as a Paralegal, drafting legal documents, and later in Public Health,writing for the state of Nevada’s Tuberculosis department and managing an HIVprogram.

 

Through AHP Writing & Editing,she has edited for B.O.S.S. Magazine and collaborated with figures like Dr.Robert L. Green. Currently, she is currently working on a social impact writingproject which will encompass some of her latest poetry and her debut romancenovel.

 

Fun Facts: Howard loves toeat, she laughs at inappropriate times and situations, and has super small earsthat she still gets teased about to this day.

 

Deliah Lawrence: What inspiredyou to be a poet?

Alisa Howard aka An Howard: Afterbeing read books by Dr. Seuss at an early age, then learning to make my ownwords rhythm, poetry came naturally to me and I instantly fell in love with itas if it were part of my original soul language.

I would tell aspiring poets to justwrite. Let it flow from your being, from your soul, from your heartbreak, fromyour happiness, from your sadness...let it flow from every part of you. Yourexperiences in this life alone are enough poems to fill up a book or two.

 

DL: Is there any particular poet,author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

AH: As a child I loved Dr.Seuss, Robert Frost, and Shel Silverstein. In my teens and beyond, NikkiGiovanni, Maya Angelou, and Langston Hughes became influences.

 

DL: If you were hosting a dinnerparty which three poets would be your dream guests and why?

AH: I think having NikkiGiovanni, Maya Angelou, and Langston Hughes sitting around my table as guestswould be a dream come true. Can you imagine the political insights andintelligent dialogue that would come from that gathering in that day and time.I wouldn't offer anything, but would sit with sheer excitement taking notes andlistening to the great thinkers of our time.

 

DL: In celebration of NationalPoetry Month, can you share with us a few of your poems?

AH: Here you go!

 

1. Title: Her Everything 

....And then she was her again

Perfectly imperfected​.

Not needing validation,salutations 

or anyone’s pity. 

She had gone through the fireand 

came out unscathed​.

Bathed.

In grace​, 

and dignity 

Wittingly charming​.

A smile so authentic 

that she could no longer be herworse critic​.

But her biggest fan​. 

She realized that she was her masterplan​.

All along.

She had been gifted the goods 

to be who she wanted​, 

​and no longer would she walk arounddisappointed​.

In herself​.

for others mishandling of her​.

She now knew who she was​, 

and who she was to be​.

She had greatness in her destiny.

Besides her ancestors and karma

would handle her baggage​. 

Taken advantage

Is what she won’t be​, 

​anymore.

Soar.

Rising higher each day​.

Making her mark on the world.

Living authentically​.

Secure in her being. 

Sitting in purpose​, 

and just simply being. 

Not needing or wanting foranything​.

But now knowing 

that all along

she has been...

and forever would be ...

her Everything! 

Copywritten and written By: ​A.Howard 

 

2. Title: It'sCalled.....      

It's sweet as a ripe tangerine

hangin from a branch from its tree​.

It's as simple as white linendancing

on a line in the summer breeze.

It speaks boldly, assure of itself

Not needing assurance from anyoneelse.

It moves you to want to do better

It even gets clever 

at times when it wants to expresshow it really feels.

It's presentation isbeautiful, 

showing differently with eachheartbeat​.

It endures and is never defeated​.

It smiles brightly in the morningsun

and winks when the moon rises and

the day is done.​

It laughs often because its neverupset​.

So many times its power is easy toforget​.

The fragrance of its soul

is like a mere rose, whose petalsnever fall off​.

It keeps breathing thru thick ​andthin

It never fails​, but always wins​.

It's unconditional, simplyirresistible​,

unselfish & gives its all​,

never wanting to fall.

It puts its full trust in you

making you want to trust it too

It listens like an old oak tree

wanting you to be free​.

Giving back its wisdom in itssilence​.

It forgets all wrongs and forgivesall pains​.

It's unwavering kindness washes likethe rain​.

Peaceful and pure like a dove​.

This wonderful thing​... 

IT'S CALLED God’s unconditionalLOVE.

​Copywritten and written By: ​A.Howard 

 

DL: Where can readers learn moreabout you and your poetry?

AH: Readers can get moreinformation here:

Website: https://www.alisahoward.com/an-howard-publishiingAmazon Author Page: taken down forrebrandingFacebook: AHP Writing and Editing https://www.facebook.com/anhowardpub/Instagram: 1alisahowardBook Buy Links: https://www.alisahoward.com/copy-of-authors 

DL: Thanks so much for beinghere with us today. I know my readers will enjoy getting to know you and yourwork.

AH: Thanks again for the feature!

 

 

National Poetry Month’s Feature: Poet Jahi Trotter

Poet’s Bio: Jahi Minkah Trotter was born in Atlanta, GA, and moved to Alabamawhen he was six years old. He has been writing poetry since he was 11 yearsold. He has written two poetry books: It Was Already Written (2016) and AdaptingTo Life: Poems and Quotes by Jahi Minkah Trotter (2020). He developed alove for filmmaking while receiving his bachelor's degree in social science.Jahi decided to continue his quest for filmmaking at Savannah College of Artand Design in Atlanta, GA. 

Duringhis final two years at SCAD, Jahi was encouraged by his professors to go intoacting while continuing to work behind the camera as well. This was a crucialtime for Jahi. He lost his father in 2019 a month before taking an electiveacting class that lead him into acting. He lost his mother in 2021 andcontinues to act and create films, including his thesis film "The Last Job,"in which he acted and starred in. Jahi graduated with a master's degree in film and television from SCAD in June 2022.  

Now,Jahi is still working on creating new films and acting. He is currently signedto Carol Shaginaw Talent Agency in Buford, GA. 

DeliahLawrence: What inspired you to be a poet?

JahiTrotter: My mother. She always had me reading and was in love with thearts. Also, Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes and Tupac Shakur.

DL: Whatare three fun facts about yourself?

JT: I likekickboxing, I’m a filmmaker and I enjoy cosplay. 

DL: Incelebration of National Poetry Month, can you share with us a few of yourpoems?

JT: Adapting To Life: Poems andQuotes - Full Audiobook 🎧📖 - Jahi MinkahTrotter (youtube.com)

JahiMinkah Trotter

They sayyou've changed But the truth is they changed first You just adapted.

YouTubePoetry videos 

DecemberNights - Jahi Minkah Trotter (youtube.com) 

LOVE/HATE- Jahi Trotter (youtube.com) 

DL: Whatnew projects are you currently working on?

JT: I'm mostlyfilming and acting at the moment. I’m also in the process of working on my thirdpoetry book dedicated to my mother. 

DL: Wherecan readers learn more about you and your poetry?

JT: Readerscan get more information here:

Website: Home | Jahi Trotter(jahiminkahtrotter.com)AmazonAuthor Page: Self-PublishedBooks | Jahi Trotter (jahiminkahtrotter.com)Facebook: Jahi Minkah Trotter |FacebookInstagram:@jahi_minkahBook Buy Links:Amazon.com 

DL: Thanks somuch for being here with us today. I know my readers will enjoy getting to knowyou and your work.

JT: Thank you.

  

National Poetry Month’s Feature: Poet Margaret Beaver

Poet’s Bio: Margaret Beaver is aneighteen-year-old college freshman, mental health and LGBTQIA+ equalityactivist, and award-winning poet and novelist. She has been honored as atwo-time consecutive Topical Winner of Live Poets Society of New Jerseypublications, a recipient of the Readers’ Favorite Five-Star cover seal, anddecorated with the Donna Lynn Quille Award for Best Advocacy Prose. Margaret isthe founder of Margaret Beaver Books, a grassroots organization aspiring to aidthe accessibility of treatment, education, and the arts. She writes nonfictionpoetry collections and novels spanning all subgenres of fiction detailing theintegral topics of inclusivity and prejudice, abusive authority, estrangedparents and children, the detriments of mental illness, and the triumph offamily. She is the author of INKWELLS. (Pegasus Publishers/Vanguard Press,2022); FLOWERS FOR PAPA (Pegasus Publishers/Vanguard Press, 2024); and SEASONS:AUGUST’S COLLECTION (Pegasus Publishers/Vanguard Press, 2024).

 

She can be visited atwww.margaretbeaverbooks.com or contacted at margaretbeaverbooks@gmail.com.

 

Deliah Lawrence: What inspired you to be a poet?

Margaret Beaver: I might be the only poet in the world to say that they hatepoetry, that they never anticipated any of this, that there were never any signs;what there was only amounted to a mild interest, a black-and-white speckledcomposition notebook, and my mother’s colorful pens. I had no way of knowingthat, years later, I would take that same interest and turn it into an act ofsurvival.

I was twelve years old, and I startedadopting severe symptoms of common mental disorders—generalized anxietydisorder, major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder—andrealized the scale of hereditary illness. I became a student of unconventionalstudy when standing by during the vast explanations of my conditions fromphysicians, practitioners, psychologists, psychiatrists, and endured amultitude of differing therapies, each with their own successes and losses.

 

My sense of self suffered in theprocess, being completely submerged in symptoms I couldn’t distinguish, and I’mstill learning how to rebuild it. Essentially, inkwells. is theproduct of the worst mental health relapse of my life, which was caused largelyin part by the fact that I'd been doing extraordinarily well in ignoring andneglecting my symptoms when my body and mind were clearly warring, and I optedto remain the nonchalant referee. My work originated as a personal chroniclingof what I quietly endured for several years before admitting I needed help—Iwrote because I refused to speak. Because of this, my work remains to be anaccumulation of the authentic and realistic notions which I created as a sortof self-medication to abstain from the self-destructive urges I wasexperiencing.

 

For how sensitive the content is,writing inkwells. was easy. It was a very smooth, deliberateprocess. I wrote in the midst of anguish—and so I wrote constantly in aperpetual act of release. I came up with a poem very few days—sometimes I wrotemultiple poems in one day—and then once I began feeling better and my symptomswere more manageable, I collected all those pages and all those files on mycomputer and compacted them into one document. It was never my intention toactually do anything with the poems; I hadn’t meant to write as many as I did.But after I realized I had scrawled almost twenty thousand words of pureillness, I had to comprehend the fact that I had accidentally created somethingthat was such a genuine, unaltered, and unrestrained demonstration of therealities of mental illness. The objective is simply to turn thisperceptible illness into something that can be both understood and embraced. Ilike to say one thing specifically about it: For people who aren’t struggling,this collection is knowledge; for people who are struggling, this collection isvalidation. For me, it will always be the entrails of survival.

 

Now that I’m healing, my relationshipwith poetry has morphed: Rather than feeling compelled to write on the basis ofendurance, poetry has become a source of entertainment. It is still a form ofdiary and therapy, but the relationship we share is much less critical and morecasual and imaginative. I have never been healthier—my relationship withwriting has never been healthier—and for that, I am immensely grateful.

 

DL: What tips would you give toaspiring poets?

MB: I havebeen down the road of this industry for a really long while now, and I'm alwaysreally happy to give advice whenever I'm asked because, admittedly, there werea lot of things I did wrong, a lot of things I wish I had done that I didn't,and I want to make sure other aspiring professionals are much more equippedthan I was. That is my goal for you, and I'm sure that's your goal foryourself.

So, I started out my professionalcareer with poetry—aside from writing two really terrible novels between theages of eight and twelve. I'mgoing to be honest: poetry is a tough break. As a genre, it generally has lessof a readership than novels or full-length nonfiction, so when it comes to,say, gaining a presence or wanting to live wholly off your work without anyother income, those successes in this area of the industry are few and farbetween. But that is NOT to say you shouldn't try; this is just a fact I wish Iwould've known in the beginning.

 

Mystrongest advice would be to try to build a platform before even attempting togo to publishers or agents because that publicity you've created for yourselfalready makes a press or an agency more inclined to work with you. Before goingto publishers, a lot of writers started gaining a following from posting poemsor excerpts of unfinished books on social media. Some of the best and mostrecognized poets were solely discovered on Instagram, for example. I would setup social media accounts devoted entirely to posting your work and then do someresearch about popular hashtags to attach to your caption. Also, collaboratingwith medium-sized poets online who you see have a good-sized following. 

Severalyears ago, before inkwells. came to fruition, I made a friend on aforum called PoetrySoup, and he currently has a major following (from 500 to5,000 in just a few years). To help boost his presence, outside of posting hispoems, he also created an entire poetry community for other poets to work with.Point of the story: When gaining a presence, you can't just support yourselfand your own work; you also have to make a platform for other like artists toengage in so you're involved in a constant circulation of content. It'sbasically the digital equivalent of word-of-mouth or a small town in a Hallmarkmovie. In my case, instead of advocating for just myself, I made my"brand" mental health awareness and general activism so that I'msupporting more and thus gaining more. It's a strategy but also a passion.

 

Inhindsight, there are also a lot of things I wish I had done differently. On thepublishing front, independent presses are amazing since you can garnerattention without the need for literary agents (a whole other ball of wax), butyou have to be very choosy about who you sign with. You Google"publishers," and every desperate press seeking your time and moneycomes up in the search results. Most of the time, that's a red flag in itself.For one, make sure your publisher demonstrates the fact that they have athriving publicity department. Stalk your favorite writers and learn abouttheir origin stories. Everyone starts so small it’s almost unfathomable.

And,across the board, I would leave aspiring authors with this philosophy: Thisisn't something that you can spend all day or all month doing and then achieve.This is years in the making. This is time and commitment. If you're notcommitted enough to yourself and trust in your talent enough, there's no reasonto even start. The support of others is simply not enough; it's your drive foryourself, and your work that makes you jump on every opportunity, and thateagerness is required to succeed. There's no way around it.

 

DL: In celebration of National Poetry Month, can you share with usa few of your poems?

MB: InMarch 2020, when I was beginning the initial stages of composing my debutpoetry collection, inkwells., I was listening to a song with strongsubject matter alluding to a tragedy or accidental death. The imagery and thegirth of the lyrics were so strong I was essentially inspired to write my veryfirst true poem titled “Sad boy.” It’s adopted a strange element of suddenpopularity since I published it, and people seemed particularly drawn to itsambiguity and sense of mystique. Having been selected for publication in aquarterly periodical by the New Jersey Live Poets Society, it’s easily one ofmy best-received poems—and ironically so, considering I had no prior poetryexperience. It reads:

 

Sad boy

Strung out in the back of a black car,

Frequent haze dawns on me from afar

And I know I’ve been here before

 

Blare loud an atom bomb in this agony;

I need to find a place, of release

If only I could see the sky

 

Pools of red flake down from the ache

I have to find a way, out of this place

But I know this is only a feather in the wing of time

 

But here we lie, strung out in this black car

I fist your shirt, to find your heart

But I’m beyond these untimely faults

 

Boy, it sure is a sad life,

Begging a sad boy to stay and have a sad time

 

Maybe it’s the thought that counts?

 

Side to side, we trace our clues

But it all comes circling back to you

Is there something I can do?

 

But we only ask when it’s too late

When we’re too far gone, in this abstract place

If only you could see the sky

 

I wish you could see the sky

 

While I’m not at liberty to divulge too many details about myupcoming sophomore collection, Seasons: August’s Collection, there areselect stanzas I’m immensely proud of and that I feel are particularlyrepresentative of my poetic development. (I wasn’t able to be proud of the workproduced in inkwells. since I was mentally incapacitated at the time andwas too sick to experience any degree of pride or joy. Being in remission now, Iam afforded the sensations and realities of pride and satisfaction with my work,and it is one of my most precious developments.) Considering I started mypoetry journey as a fourteen-year-old ninth grader, being a current collegestudent has offered integral literary evolution during formative years that arealready evidently crucial regarding personal development into adulthood. One ofthe poems in the upcoming collection, titled “hurt people hurt people,” openswith one of my favorite lines to date:

 

I’ve gone to far too many funerals

The faces look the same

Keep telling the kids they can’t comehome

If they could feel, they’d feelestranged

We tie our nooses a little tighter

When we think of the mess we made

Our webs of scars—no, they’re our art

And you feel the need to paint

 

The publication dates for Seasons: August’s Collection andits sister novel, Flowers for Papa, are currently TBA, and I thank allmy readers for their patience during the unforeseen delays in production sincethese works were first contracted two years ago. I will announce anydevelopments on my blog and in my periodic newsletter.

 

DL: What new projects are you currently working on?

MB: Currently,I'm centralizing a majority of my energy on refining and elevating the presenceand impact of my organization, Margaret Beaver Books (MBB). Founded in 2022,justfollowing the initial release of inkwells. in June, the whole storyboils down to the fact that, once I had the book out, I reasoned that I neededan online presence to market and publicize myself and my work—so I built awebsite for myself, and it later ended up mutating into a business of its own.“Margaret Beaver Books dot com" was the closest domain name I could get tomyself, so I decided, to go with the domain, to fully rename the interface asMargaret Beaver Books and make it into a grassroots organization rather thanjust a retail platform. 

Today, MBB operates as both: it features my work, mymessage, my story, and from my story, we support and advocate for the causesassociated, such as mental health awareness and LGBT advocacy. In the future, Iwould really love to take MBB to the next level and collaborate with mentalhealth and literary initiatives to aid in the accessibility of treatment,education, and the arts. Also, considering today's recent climate, it isimportant to note that we actively support a series of equality movements andare strongly advocating for a ceasefire regarding the Gaza conflict. We havealways and will always stand for equality, and we have the bones to be adriving force where it means most, so we're using our resources however we can. 

On the literary front, I’malso laboring over an extensive character-driven speculative fiction project withstrong science fiction resemblances that have been prolonged for four years andcounting. My advocacy and philanthropic work have been especially channeled forthis pursuit, and I can best describe the manuscript as a sweeping commentarysurrounding notions of humanity and how humanity simply cannot exist whenbigotry does as well. When this project comes to completion, I’ve been enticedwith elevating my career exposure and am interested in pursuing professionalrepresentation. Here’s to hoping! 

DL: Where can readers learnmore about you and your poetry?

MB:Readers can get more information here:

Website: https://www.margaretbeaverbooks.com/Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/margaret-beaverFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Margaret-Beaver/pfbid0VCu3C17Zs17jDnKq3tJsKcC4qzqswD7KYuEQXHgEDxxKt9Fat5Am6n4VUkfxcnD1l/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_margaretbeaver_/

Blog: https://www.margaretbeaverbooks.com/blog

Book Buy Links: https://www.amazon.com/inkwells-Margaret-Beaver/dp/1800163800/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

(more links available onthe website)

DL: Thanksso much for being here with us today. I know my readers will enjoy getting toknow you and your work.

MB: Thankyou so much again for wanting my inclusion in this project!

A Review of Lucky Man (The Tubby Dubonnet Series Book 6) by Tony Dunbar

This isthe first time I’m reading anything by Tony Dunbar and it won’t be the last. Althoughthis is the sixth book in the Tubby Dubonnet series, I am already loving Tubby.So, let’s meet him. Tubby is a lawyer who has given up booze, looking for hispay day from prior clients, and is now embroiled in a doozy of a case while onthe brink of a potential love interest. 

The doozyof a case involves Judge Al Hughes who calls Tubby because he is caught in abind with District Attorney Marcus Dementhe who confronts him with dates, times,and places of having sex with a young lady (Sultana Patel). Judge Hughes is worriedabout his wife finding out as well as appearing before a special grand jury theDA is convening to nail corrupt judges. However, if the judge cooperated in gettingdirt on his colleagues, the DA might work out a deal with him. 

When Tubbyconnects with Sultana to find out what she told the DA, he learns that she waspaid to come on to the judge at a party. Her story is pretty similar to that ofanother young lady who is seen on a video (in Tubby’s possession from a priorcase) talking about a man placing personal ads in newspapers looking for youngwomen to act as escorts. Tubby with the help of his private investigator friend,Sanre Fueres (Flowers) tracks down the man (Max Finn) behind the personal ads.But before they could talk to him, he was found dead at his home. Yet, anothercomplication because Finn’s wife, Norella used to be the girlfriend of one of Tubby’sfriends - Jason Boaz, the inventor. 

Overall,this was a quick, fun, humorous, and puzzled-filled read. There were a lot ofcharacters but what drew me in was their colorful names (Raisin Partlow, CandyCanary, Sapphire Serena, Lucky LaFrene, etc.), their quirkiness, and how theyfit perfectly in the storyline which readers need to follow carefully. Thedialogue and descriptions were spot on. I thoroughly enjoyed going a ride with Tubbyas he meandered the streets of New Orleans (sights, sounds, smells) in searchof finding the truth about Max Finn as well as his zest for justice for hisclients. I won’t give anything away, but I had hoped that a certain someone (theDA) would have gotten his comeuppance. Anyway, as Tubby said, “At some levelthe guilty will pay” and I believe him. Two thumbs up! 

Rating: 4stars  

Some of myfavorite lines: 

“Can Icome over to see you right now? I’m feeling a lot of pressure here.”

It must begoing around, Tubby thought, and gave her the address. He told Cherrylynn to beon the lookout and asked very politely if she would mind staying in the roomwhile he interviewed the woman.

“As oftoday, you’re a paralegal,” he told her. “Anything you hear is privileged.”

“Does thatinvolve a raise?” she asked woodenly.

            “Does itfeel like Christmas?” She didn’t smile, but he thought she might be brighteningup a bit. 

Women’s History Month’s Feature: Sandra Cisneros, Novelist, Poet, Short Story Writer, and Artist

Hello booklovers! In celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to present toyou, novelist, poet, short story writer, and artist, Sandra Cisneros. She is a pivotalfigure in Chicano literature and her work explores the formation of Chicanoidentity, the challenges of being caught between two cultures (Mexican and Anglo-American) and experiencing poverty. Her first novel, The House on Mango Street (1983)is a coming-of-age novel that has been translated worldwide and is taught inU.S. classrooms. She is also known for her short story collection, Woman HolleringCreek and Other Stories (1991).

 

She hasgarnered multiple awards, notably receiving fellowships from the NationalEndowment for the Arts (1981 and 1988), an American Book Award (1985), and a MacArthurfellowship (1995). In 2017, she was awarded one of 25 new Ford Foundation Artof Change Fellowships. She has a strong sense of commitment to community andliterary causes having established the Macondo Writers Workship in 1998 that providessocially conscious workshops for writers. In 2000, she also founded the AlfredoCisneros Del Moral Foundation which awards talented writers with ties to Texas(where she lived and wrote for many years). Check out her quote about thebeauty of literature. #womenshistorymonth #novelist #poet #shortstorywriter#artist #NationalEndowmentfortheArts #AmericanBookAward #MacArthurFellowship#FordFoundationArtofChange #SandraCisneros #vocalexpressions

Women’s History Month’s Feature: Lucille Clifton, Poet, Writer, and Educator

Hello booklovers! In celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to present toyou, poet, writer, and educator, Lucille Clifton. Born Thelma Lucille Sayles,in Depew, New York, she moved with her husband James Clifton and family toBaltimore, Maryland in 1967. In 1969, she published her first poetrycollection, Good Times, that was listed by The New York Times asone of the year’s ten best books. Her collection of poems dealt with social,racial and political issues as well as her identity as a woman and as a poet. From1971 to 1974, she was poet-in-residence at Coppin State University and from 1979to 1985, she was Poet Laureate for the state of Maryland.  She was also a Pulitzer Prize finalist forpoetry (twice). 

Some of her notable works include Good News About the Earth: New Poems (1972), AnOrdinary Woman (1974), Two-Headed Woman (1980) that won the JuniperPrize, her children’s book - Everett Anderson’s Good-bye that won the1984 Coretta Scott King Award, and The Book of Light (1993).  She taught creative writing at various universitiesand won several awards including an Emmy Award, a Lannan Literary Award forPoetry (1996), a National Book Award for Poetry (2000), and the Robert FrostMedal (2010). She was definitely a trailblazer (1936 – 1984). Check out herquote about writing as a way of hope. #womenshistorymonth #poet #writer#educator #JuniperPrizeWinner #EmmyAwardWinner #PulitzerPrizeFinalist #LannanLiteraryAward#NationalBookAward #RobertFrostMedal #LucilleClifton #vocalexpressions 

Women’s History Month’s Feature: Min Jin Lee, Author, Journalist, and Lecturer

Hello booklovers! In celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to present toyou, author, journalist, Min Jin Lee. She is a Korean American author (formerlawyer) who has written novels, short stories, and essays that have garneredpraise and won several awards. Her debut novel, Free Food for Millionaireswas published in 2007 and was named one of the Top 10 Novels by The Timesof London, NPR’s Fresh Air, and USA Today; a notable novel by theSan Francisco Chronicle; and a New York Times Editor’s Choice andother awards. In January 2021, it was announced that Lee and screenwriter AlanYang had teamed up to bring Free Food for Millionaires to Netflix as aTV series.  

Some of hernotable works include Pachinko (2017), which was a finalist for theNational Book Award, and runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize; Axisof Happiness, which won the 2004 Narrative Prize from NarrativeMagazine; and Motherland which won the Peden Prize for Best ShortStory.  She has lectured at variousuniversities and is currently on leave of absence for the 2023-24 academic yearas the writer-in-residence at Amherst College in Massachusetts. Check out herquote about filling your mind with knowledge. #womenshistorymonth #author#journalist #lecturer #FreeFoodForMillionaires #Pachinko #NationalBookAwardFinalist#NarrativePrizeWinner #DaytonLiteraryPeacePrizeRunnerUp #PedenPrizeWinner #MinJinLee#vocalexpressions 

Women’s History Month’s Feature: Daisy Bates, Civil Rights Activist, Author, Publisher, Journalist, and Lecturer

Hello booklovers! In celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to present toyou, civil rights activist, author, publisher, journalist, and lecturer, DaisyBates. She was the co-publisher (and owner along with her husband, L. C. Bates)of the Arkansas State Press, a weekly statewide newspaper with its firstissue appearing on May 9, 1941. It primarily focused on advocacy journalism andwas modeled off other African-American publications like the ChicagoDefender and The Crisis. The newspaper was punished forsupporting desegregation (Little Rock Segregation Crisis – The Little Rock Nine)and lost advertising dollars except for money that came directly and throughadvertisements from the NAACP national office. Unfortunately, the newspapercouldn’t sustain itself and the last issue was published on October 29, 1959.

In 1960, DaisyBates moved to New York City and wrote her memoir, The Long Shadow of LittleRock, which won a 1988 National Book Award. She was definitely atrailblazer (1914 – 1999) having been a former president of the Arkansas StateConference of the NAACP and a staunch supporter of civil rights and reform inthe Arkansas educational system. Check out her quote about pursuing an ideal. #womenshistorymonth#civilrightsactivist #NAACP #author #publisher #journalist #lecturer #DaisyBates #vocalexpressions 

Women’s History Month’s Feature: Jean Houston, Ph.D., Author, Scholar, and Philosopher

Hello booklovers! In celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to present toyou, author and philosopher, Jean Houston, Ph.D. She is a visionary thinker andone of the founders of the Human Potential Movement which centers on the beliefthat humans can experience an exceptional quality of life through developingtheir human potential. She is an advisor to UNICEF in human and culturaldevelopment and has worked around the world (over 100 countries) with many spiritualleaders including the Dalai Lama in India. Since 2003, she has been workingwith the United Nations Development Program, training leaders in human and culturaldevelopment. 

She has written26 books including Jump Time, A Passion for the Possible, Searchfor the Beloved, Life Force, The Possible Human, PublicLike a Frog, A Mythic Life: Learning to Live Our Greater Story, and Manualof the Peacemaker. She has also created personal development coursesincluding “Unlock Your Quantum Powers.” Additionally, she is a Nautilus BookAward winner. Check out her quote about change and opportunity. #womenshistorymonth#author #visionary #advisor #humanpotentialmovement #quantumpowers #changeandopportunity#NautilusBookAward #JeanHouston #vocalexpressions   

Women’s History Month’s Feature: Kiran Desai, Novelist

Hello booklovers! In celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to present to younovelist, Kiran Desai. In 1998, her first novel, Hullabaloo in the GuavaOrchard received many accolades from literary figures such as SalmanRushdie. It won the Betty Trask Award, a prize given by the Society of Authorsfor best new novels by citizens of the Commonwealth of Nations under the age of35. Her next novel, The Inheritance of Loss won the 2006 Man BookerPrize and the National Book Critics Circle Fiction Award. 

In May 2007,she was the featured author at the inaugural Asia House Festival of Cold Literature.In August 2008, she was a guest on Private Passions, the biographical musicdiscussion show hosted by Michael Berkeley on BBC Radio 3. She was awarded a2013 Berlin Prize Fellowship at the American Academy in Berlin. And in January2015, The Economic Times listed her as one of 20 “most influential” globalIndian women. Check out her quote about writing according to a set of rules. #womenshistorymonth#novelist #BettyTraskAward #ManBookerPrize #NationalBookCriticsCircleFictionAward #BerlinPrizeFellowship #KiranDesai #vocalexpressions