Visions of a Skylark Dressed in Black

by Aberjhani

"When a reader enters the pages of a book of poetry [with fiction], he or she enters a world where dreams transform the past into knowledge made applicable to the present, and where visions shape the present into extraordinary possibilities for the future. One of the funny things about those dreams and visions is that although they spring from the heart and soul of the writer, it is not unusual for readers to sometimes see themselves reflected in their light. This is possible because the reality of a serious writer is a reality of many voices, some of them belonging to the writer, some of them belonging to the world of readers at large." --From Introduction to VISIONS OF A SKYLARK DRESSED IN BLACK

134 pages, Paperback

First published July 17, 2012

About the author

Long-time advocate of principles and programs associated with PEN American Center and the Academy of American Poets. My newest books are: These Black and Blue Red Zone Days, Greeting Flannery O'Connor at the Back Door of My Mind, and Dreams of the Immortal City Savannah. Other titles include: Songs from the Black Skylark zPed Music Player, Journey through the Power of the Rainbow Quotations from a Life Made Out of Poetry, Visions of a Skylark Dressed in Black; and THE RIVER OF WINGED DREAMS. In addition,the year 2018 marks the 10th anniversary of ELEMENTAL The Power of Illuminated Love with the artist Luther E. Vann.

My work as a visual artist can be found at: https://pixels.com/profiles/posteredc...

I'm currently working on several important projects, including a second edition of The American Poet Who Went Home Again. In addition, I have had the honor of serving as an editor for the Civil War Savannah Book Series published in commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War. The first title in the series is Savannah Immortal City published February 1, 2011; and the second is Brokers Bankers and Bay Lane Inside the Savannah Slave Trade.

I don't recall a time since adolescence when I have not been involved in a deep relationship with writing, reading, and other forms of creative expression, which is why I remained so deeply involved with Creative Thinkers International for many years.

In addition to the honor of being a Goodreads author, I'm an advocate of initiatives sponsored by PEN America, the American Academy of Poets, Authors on Google +, and other verb-oriented communities.

Prior to joining any of the above, I was born in Savannah, Georgia, eventually left to attend colleges around the country, and served in the U.S. Air Force for 8 years total.

I lucked out and got so furiously inspired in the course of producing some of my work that folks were kind enough to give me awards for it. These include the CONNECT SAVANNAH 2006 Readers Poll for Best Poet and Spoken Word Artist; the Choice Academic Title Award for "Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance," (co-authored by Sandra L. West); the Thomas Jefferson Journalism Award; and the Freedom Foundation essay competition bronze medal.

The year 2007 marked my 10th publishing works in ESSENCE Magazine. I'm particularly happy about the fact that my "Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance" was listed by Black Issues Book Review as one of its “essential reference books for the home library.”