Creative Advocacy-Are You In?

“My parents said I came into the world, screaming and hollering. I’d like to think that I was merely protesting!” Clara Freeman

Happy Monday! It’s a beautiful day every day when we can open our eyes and say “Thank you lord” for allowing me to see another day of following my dreams, speaking my truths and living a life of purpose and possibility. I believe the universe hears and receives your offerings. So, I begin by thanking God for loving me, guiding me and carrying me through the storms.

I awakened from a fitful sleep in 2008, determined to create a platform for women that would champion the voice of the “underdog” and empower the “power” that we possess. I’d always served in some capacity of leadership, whether advocating for children in their communities and schools, or recording the stories and voices of the elderly who felt forgotten in the anesthetic environment of the hospital where I worked as a young nurse.

My belief is that I’m being my best self when my work helps others and leads to positive change in some small space of their living. I’m happy with the work that I’ve done over the years and the achievements I’ve accomplished in the process, but I know there’s much I still need to do.

There are plans to revisit my memoirs. I’ve attempted the process many times:) and I remain focused on championing the voice of the “voiceless” and promoting Unleash Your Pearls Empowering Women’s Voices to women and the men that love and support them, on a global scale. I concede that my time on earth, like yours, is limited and therefore, I need to concentrate on doing valuable and meaningful work.

My mission is to ensure that Unleash Your Pearls, lands in the hands and on the hearts and minds of every woman and man, in the nation who seek to unleash their authentic voice and live a more authentically empowered life.

I humbly ask for your assistance in this endeavor. Email unleashyourpearls@yahoo.com to purchase a signed author’s copy for yourself and for all the warrior women in your life.

I will be taking an indefinite leave from my blogs in order to do work that makes a difference in my life and the lives of others. I’ve been asked to do more radio talk, and  check here for a recently published essay in The Book Of Hope Anthology by Krysta Gibson http://newspiritjournalonline.com/the-book-of-hope.

My personal narrative on life during Jim Crow was among the 88 contributors chosen from over 200 submissions for inclusion in the upcoming release anthology, Black Lives Have Always Mattered, a collection of essays, poems and personal narratives, edited by one of the original poets, Mr. Abiodun Oyewole and published by GABRIELLE DAVID of 2LeafPress.

I hope you reserve your copy of this important contribution to America’s History.

Preorders are available at http://2leafpress.org/online/black-lives-always-mattered-contributors/

http://bit.ly/blham-amazon).

Whatever mode of creativity you are in, in regards to walking in your authentic truths, I would tell you to just follow your passion, because that will ultimately lead you to your purpose. Go with your heart’s calling. Do the work you feel compelled to do, work that makes you happy as your contributions will make life matter, not only for yourself, but for others in the world needing to hear, see and feel your flow…

Peace and summertime blessings!

xoxo

On Being A Woman Poet…

Happy Poetry Month, Creatives! I Hope you are enjoying the Me time of spring! My poems placed as a semi finalist in The Mary Shay Ballard’s Chapbook Poetry Prize in 2015 and 2016. Although I didn’t win the coveted prize, I felt and still feel strongly that poetry is cathartic, much like the healing hands of a nurse’s compassionate touch. So, as a special treat for my readers & critics alike, I’d like to share some of my work that forms the heart of me. And no, this work was not included in the competition.

I Am Sometimes Left to Wonder:

The more things change the more things stay the same-
The more she tries to leave behind what’s hiding in the cornerstone of her being- the more that un-named thing seems to languish on the plateau of her subconscious mind.
When one tries to keep the past in the past; there it lies in the crevices of our deepest dreams; nitpicking at the core of who we want to become-
I have this ethereal relationship with what some suppose is ‘art’. It’s meshes with a worldview that oftentimes forms in the creative center of my brain, failing to connect the dots that will perform its call to duty. In poetry, words easily slip-slide away from thoughts formed by my conscious center to be overtaken by human emotions.

Empathy takes ahold and goes about unearthing truths hidden inside personal pockets of space. This empathy calls me. Calls itself POETRY.
I love the ambiance of sitting alone in the presence of an almighty entity that becomes a shadowy figure of which I envision the most high. An Otherworldliness I feel the need to believe in and give reverence to in the center of my writing angst-
Deliver me Oh Lord! For I am blinded and cannot see the gifts that you have given a mere creature like myself. I am annoyingly frustrated. I am a questioning being- imperfect but willing to try. And so I continue offering contributions to other human beings.
The time came for me to put away the thought of opportunities and possibility in the realm of poetry. But, as I stand in the stillness of nature’s beginnings where birds chirp, bees swarm and the sun is shining down on the green grass growing beneath my feet- I wonder and my fingers itch to create something of similar beauty to share with the masses.
Something feels sorely lacking and I walk away from what could be, to concentrate on the here and now and use my gifts and the skills and talents I have honed to set my eyes on the prize.

I heard it said once that women poets make for great pastimes. Are women only passing time in their writings? For those women penning poems who should doubt their gifts, I say look to the works of Nikki, Maya, Sylvia, Gwendolyn and so many creations from women warriors who have penned their truths onto a mocking blankness that lay untouched before them. I don’t know about other women poets in answer to the whys of their desires to pen poems, but to me-
Poetry should feed the soul. Flow like the swiftness of a soaring eagle’s wing upon the blank page and keep your nimble fingers moving in synch with the rhythmic flow of the unconscious mind where the need to create something worthy in the eyes of your colleagues and readers and others who call themselves “poet” and “poetess” and creators of expressed expressions-awaits to delight in and even judge its merit.

I write poetry not like Gwendolyn or Maya or Nikki or anyone but myself, and so I must rely on my own merits and pray that my work could even stand alone, let alone see favor in the eyes of the true effortless artists who reign from poet laureate and champions the woman voice in defining what it means to be “Artist.”

On My Work:

I don’t have a name for it. It has been called “expressive” and “Intuitive”.
It has been widely accepted by others with their own labels and I have swallowed the response I wish to utter, but I let it go and wish to stop the torture that calls to me, sometimes at the most inopportune times.
I will try to keep this need for this thing in check because there’s no time to play when my mind is focused on doing the work that keeps me fed, protected from the elements, my expenses paid and clothes on my back.

I wonder about the starving artist syndrome and I fear there is a semblance of truth there, and so I accept the need to pen words into images of life lived, in evidence of struggle and achievement against all odds, including being a woman poet who writes poetry as a great past-time and is often left to wonder if people can identify or comprehend. xoxo

I Want To Feel His Presence

In the presence of God’s work
the world is alive
Mother Nature’s green
grass
Trees, ponds, birds, wasps and bees
Sounds that whispers
I’m here
alive, watching, hovering about
in the presence of God’s
work
your spirit sings
Truths
of who you are and whose you are-
Sitting and watching and listening to the
sounds in
whispers
in colors and in movement,
gentle winds rustle fallen leaves from
bountiful ushering of Mulberry trees
Offerings that shade from the sun
while you become one who sits in awareness
And
in
Understanding of the benevolence where
you are chosen to witness
the beauty and significance that is God’s work…CF

Release Of New Empowerment Book For Women And Job Opportunities!

Hello creatives! Happy Women’s History Month! I’m too happy to share that my book to empower the voice of women has launched!

Yes, Unleash Your Pearls Empowering Women’s Voices is an added bonus in the celebration of women history, because it champions the voice of the “underdog.” I hope you all purchase your copy now, because I’m in the midst of sending out signed copies for women and church groups, family and friends.

Email unleashyourpearls@yahoo.com or use the convenient contact info on the blog.  So far, the book is being well received and I’m forever grateful and humbled.

Intriguing Jobs:

I grew up on a farm, so I know a bit about watching things grow from a tiny seed planted in the earth to an edible fruit or vegetable. That’s why I found these job opportunities so intriguing. I suppose I could have been a Resident Gardner in another lifetime 🙂

If you like feeling the soil of Mother Earth running through your fingers, check out these intriguing job opportunities.  https://www.mainefarmlandtrust.org/job-opportunities/

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Freelancer: Hits, Misses & Mentions

Good Monday morning! I hope the juices of all creatives are flowing like water in a river baptism this fall season . I can’t complain because I’m still loving what I do, although, it can get hard out here for a creative pimp-tress:)

So, today, I’m updating my loyal readers and followers on a few things happening in my neck of the writing woods, with a brief run-through of some of my freelancer hits and misses, along with a big ole congratulatory mention to a well deserving poet and visual artist.

Misses:

You guys recall me writing about how thrilled I was to open an email from Quaker Oats contest a while back, informing me that my delicious recipe submission had been selected?  Well, just like most of the five hundred thousand hopefuls out there, I waited with bated breath, months even, to claim my winning prize…

Not! The three finalists have been selected and yours truly is not on the list. Bummer! But,  because I love to eat my share of delicious foods instead of demonstrating my culinary skills or lack thereof, I’ve gladly moved on. It’s always a good thing when we release and let go, because something great hangs in the balance.

Misses : #2

I will be sharing my thoughts on traditional book publishing from my own experience with Unleash Your Pearls, including the ups & downs one might experience after signing on the  publisher’s dotted line. I will discuss research findings on the industry, including the length of time it takes from initial contract to actual book release. Patience is truly  required and a couple of glasses of spirits can’t hurt much. Anyhew, when those people call my people about my book release, we will have a celebration!

Hits:

I’ve learned not to wallow in feelings of freelance defeat or rejection and to just keep going with other interesting and oftentimes lucrative distractions.  I recently sold my 2nd nonfiction story to the Book of Hope Anthology, scheduled for publication after the holidays.

My contributing story appearing in the “Lessons from Losers in Love”  Anthology recently went to YouTube.

Dr. Alonda Alloway-Higgins, PhD, LSW,  Author and Life Coach

Uploaded a video to talk more about her book and upcoming series:

I’m working on my fourth assignment as part of How Writers Write Fiction 2016: Storied Women from Iowa University’s free Writing Workshop. This class is mentally challenging and educationally inspiring. We’re penning new stories to upload every week and so far, the feedback from class participants have been encouraging and useful. My love of learning is evergreen and when I feel the need to advance my writing aspirations, I always do.

There are numerous narratives on the informational highway in regards to getting something for ‘free’ and I’m of the opinion that one should always be a cautionary ‘buyer’. When it comes to free learning modules, however, in the form of free classes in writing, website design or advanced YouTube tutorials in your field of expertise, I’ve found them to be quite beneficial, and in some ways an advantage over many fee based online workshops.

For example, free classes offered by college institutions oftentimes differ from online writing workshops that cost, in that these curriculum based classes are taught by esteemed professors of writing, with several book fellows and awards under their belts and do not in any way, fashion or form, diminish from  a freelance writer’s creative abilities – they can, in fact, impact ones’ productivity and profit-making capabilities.

I’ve taken my share of online fee based and free classes since 2010.  Before the internet surge, I thought nothing of hopping a train in real-time, to attend fee based writing classes at Harold Washington Colleges. So, my advice, when in doubt, is to go for your gusto the way it works for you and don’t be swayed by negative  hype.  If you haven’t done it, then you can’t speak on it. And that’s all I’m going to say about that.

Mention~

A big ole congratulations going out to Henry Jones; Poet, Artist, Entrepreneur and friend out there in Nashville whom I hold in high regard. Mr. Jones just won the National Gifted Artist Neo Soul & Poetry Artist(GANSPA) Award!

Congrats to you, Mr. Jones!

Quote for today:

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” Benjamin Franklin

A Heartfelt Reminder,Writing Updates and Contests!

Darkness cannot drive out darkness;
only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate;
only love can do that.
Hate multiplies hate,
violence multiplies violence,
and toughness multiplies toughness
in a descending spiral of destruction….
The chain reaction of evil —
hate begetting hate,
wars producing more wars —
must be broken,
or we shall be plunged
into the dark abyss of annihilation.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Strength To Love, 1963 

Hello Creatives ,

I’m back to continue in the spirit of creating and promoting meaningful works to help you learn and live by. I hope that we continue to have compassion and empathy for one another and that Dr. King and other fighters of wrongdoers did not die in vain. Let’s stay prayerfully awake, aware and continue to speak on the need for accountability.

I’ve been writing tirelessly during my blog sabbatical and have received many emails seeking help on meaningful projects from other creatives in their work to combat bullying, hatred and violence.

You can view links to some of these concerns here:

rawstory.com/2016/09/black-women-students-at-american-university-pelted-with-rotten-bananas-in-disgusting-racist-attacks/ …

https://wwwclara54.wordpress.com/2016/09/12/back-stabber-tv-show-on-amazon-com/

I’m not overly concerned about winning a popularity contest with my blogs by way of comments or followers. I’m more interested in making a positive impact that leads to change in the world, and so I sent an email to Arianna Huffington, (former founder & editor-in- chief) of Huffington Post, where I shared some of what I, as a woman of color could bring to the conversation on violence and race in America, as a Huffing-ton Post contributor. I will share bits of her response at a later date, but you can read my latest article here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/social-media-trolls_us_57cafbfde4b0b9c5b738cb47?

I’m also writing, editing and submitting old and newer works to various publications, and recently, among some poetry and short story rejections there have been positive results and I’m grateful and thankful for my gifts: https://thebluenib.com/tag/Clara-Freeman/

I contributed to this anthology on true life lessons learned from failed relationships. The author will compile a series of books on the subject. Check her out here:  www.BloggingDrAlonda.com

https://www.amazon.com/Lessons-Losers-Love-Relationships-Valuable/dp/0578184141/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1474035618&sr=1-1&keywords=lessons+from+losers+in+love

I always write to maintain balance in my life and I’m blessed to be well versed in several genres. I’m sure you all would agree that writing is therapeutic. My writings keep me grounded and humbled and feeling blessed (I’m too blessed to be stressed, y’all!) Anyhow, I haven’t gotten any new  updates on the release of Unleash Your Pearls Empowering Women’s Voices from my publisher, which is a bummer, but patience is a virtue:)

Here are some great upcoming contests for y’all to check out and hopefully find something  of interest in your genre. Some contests are fee based and some are not.

https://www.usi.edu/sir/awards-contests/mohr-award/2016-mary-c-mohr-award/

http://www.all-story.com/contests.cgi

http://sixhens.com/index.php#submissions

https://indianareview.org/contests/

Special listing:  https://www.freelancewriting.com/writing-contests/

Oftentimes, we writers think we’re not making a living with our work, unless we are seeing dollar bills. Ms. Robbie of Welcome To Sweetie Pies, coined the phrase “if it don’t make  money it don’t make sense.” That’s all good when you’re business minded and only centered on making money, but those of us who use our writings to make a difference are not solely centered on the grind for the sake of the almighty dollar.We are successful at sharing our work,  knowing that somewhere and with someone, we have aided in making a life better.

September kicks off my monthly blog postings, unless more exciting news find me. I’ve decided to pursue new projects that will expand under my brand leadership that includes influence-rs, motivators and thought leaders, armed with a common goal . I will always appreciate every voice who stops by Clara’s Writer’s Blog to share in this awe-inspiring world of literary creativity.  Writers, innovators and critical thinkers, I heart you all.

Be blessed and be a blessing!

“Where love is God is”~ CF

 

 

 

 

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Decompressing

Sorry everyone. Working to decompress from the devastation and senselessness that continues to take place in our America. I am stepping away from the blogs and social media for a while. I will keep y’all in the loop on the release of Unleash Your Pearls as updates arrive from the publishers.  Believe me when I tell y’all, this book is going to help you get through some stuff!

Feel free to email me or use the contact form if the need arises.

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”

Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.

Keep working and praying for America’s healing…

I’m Back At The Blog With Exciting Updates!

Happy Friday, writers and authors! I hope your summer is going well. I’m back from a brief rest period to reconnect with y’all and bring you up to date on what’s been happening in my writing world of late.

Authentic Woman, my business brand that champions women voices, celebrated its 8th year in the blogosphere last month!  I’m excited to report that my purpose mission to empower the authentic voice in women has become a recognizable, trusted and respected name in the world of self-development and women’s empowerment. At this posting, we have well over 2000 followers, and with your voices adding to the mix, it just keeps getting better.

I’ve been invited to join several prestigious groups consisting of consultants, mentors, coaches, lifestyle strategists, etc, to share experiences in the environment of our brand expertise in making a difference in the lives of others. I’m always happy and downright humbled and blessed to be in the inspiring and aspiring presence of like-minded folk. That’s just God, people!

At Authentic Woman on Monday, I shared the cover to Unleash Your Pearls~ Empowering Women’ s Voices, with my followers. Today, I’m revealing it to you. Yay! Trust and believe, the cover is awesome, but what you’re going to get when you open the book will be explosive (in a  good champion the woman voice way) Keep checking in for the book’s release.

Now here are links to stuff I’ve accomplished with my writings while on break:

Short Story.

“We have received it, and it will be considered for our next issue.

Thank you”

The Six Hens submissions team

Article.

Spring Edition of Magnificent Living Magazine!
https://issuu.com/kristiekennedy6/docs/annversary_magazine_interactive_pdf

 

My Natural Hair Essay.

http://accentedglory.weebly.com/accessory-diva-blog/my-crowning-glory

 

Recently sold a nonfiction piece to the “Lessons from Losers in Love” Anthology.

I think all of those online classes( free & fee based) are finally kicking in. I actually look forward to editing short stories and previously rejected submissions, which is a far cry from my earlier editing process (hated it!)  I feel like I’m Stella, the writer, getting her groove back. 🙂

Quote:

“Success comes when the work you do helps other people recognize who they are. It is when you see your work make a difference in another person, who in finding themselves, will sow seeds of their gifts and pay it forward by helping others.” 

Clara Freeman

 

 

Congrats, Contests and Casting Call

Happy Friday Wordsmiths! I hope everyone have a great weekend ahead. I’m a bit under the weather of aches and pains that accompanies a visit from Arthur, but that won’t deter me from going out to support my granddaughters dance performance this weekend.

We have a lot of ground to cover today, starting with a hearty congrats to authors Michelle Duster and Trina Sotira of the musewrite community for being honored with a 2016 Next Generation Indie Book Finalist Award.

Their anthology, SHIFTS,  won in the women’s issue category.  Congrats ladies. Enjoy your medals and bask in your achievements.  Readers can find more info about their great achievement and how to grab a copy of their book at www.musewrite.com or by emailing Michelle Duster at musewritecommunity@yahoo.com.

The women’s next anthology is due out March 2017. It will center on thoughts about the first lady, Michelle Obama. My poem, Brown Girl Challenge, also makes a cameo.

Changing gears

It  was such a pleasure and an honor these last weeks to bring you Andre West for my special guest interview. The owner of DreamQuestOne really did the thing! If you haven’t read his informative and inspiring writing insights, please do go back to read part one and part two. And be sure to visit Andre’s website at http://www.dreamquestone.com…

Contests accepting May submissions

My colleague and friend, Evelyn Cogdell sent me this competition. Epiphany, a literary Journal, is calling for poems and short stories. They have a June deadline.They also have a chapbook contest in the works. Check out their website and you’ll find other publications open for submissions.  http://www.everywritersresource.com/literarymagazines/epiphany-a-literary-journal/

I’m thinking about subscribing. Thanks Evelyn!

Here are more sites that are open for May submissions.

www.dreamquestone.com

writersrelief.com/watersedge-poetry-chapbook-contest/

Short Story award for new writers@ https://mastersreview.com/short-story-award-for-new-writers/

Chicago Casting Call!

Usually, I post about celebrity news, reality television and Chicago happenings over at my celebrity news and views blog, but this is an exception because I’m only posting monthly over there, but that might change in the coming months:)

Here’s the info for all of you wanting to get a chance at being cast for   Reality TV Chicago Ladies

To learn more about the women who are already cast for the show, formerly called Chicago Girlfriends, go to https://wwwclara54.wordpress.com/2016/04/24/the-ladies-of-chicago-girlfriendschicagos-first-reality-television-show/

Quote for today~

When you take risks you learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important.

—Ellen DeGeneres

 

Five Profit Making Techniques For Your First Book

Happy Easter, Authors!  It’s so exciting for a writer to finally finish a first book and put it out there for readership, rave reviews and purchase. I mean, I would love to see Unleash Your Pearls in the hands of women and men alike, getting all inspired and feeling the “ish” of just how deserving of God’s blessings they are.  Wouldn’t that be something?! Well, rest easy for now, my lucky readers, we’re still at the publishers, but  once we launch, you will get the memo:)

First time authors put in their dues, with the nail-biting that’s a nimble away from becoming a habit, the nighttime nightmares, sweating tears and negative fears, non-withstanding; it is the desire of first time authors to give readers the best extension of themselves through their art. Oftentimes, these authors find themselves in a quandary because at the end of the day, they know their validation and financial sustainability as authors come from their book sales.

Nowadays, more books are being published by first time authors than ever before and most authors realize that unless you are a celebrity or a bestselling Terry McMillan, the first  months of your book being out there, more than likely will result in few sales. This can be a daunting experience. As writers we have to get pro-creative to cultivate a satisfying book profit outcome. I don’t know about other authors on the scene with their first books, but I’m looking to land the bestseller list for my pearl and so can you.

Here are five profit-making techniques for your first book~

1. Book Blurb… If you know you have a great book to offer readers. You have to start grinding and get your book into the hands of the people. Use your blog to promote your book by offering brief excerpts from time to time. This technique is one used by many authors to bring awareness to their upcoming book launch. It stimulates the reader’s interest in your book, without making them feel pressured to buy and if your book just happens to be bestseller worthy, like my (Unleash your pearls), for example, then, all the better:)
2. Offer a free copy of your book to another blogger in exchange for an honest review on Amazon.com or on their blog…I’ve done this for many  bloggers turned authors. As an Amazon book reviewer, I know this works! Not only have authors benefited from my reviews, they have seen an increase in book readership, as a result.  Of the many reviews I’ve done over the years, only one author asked that I change the ratings authors depend on  4 or5 star ratings for their books to make a profit and I do understand this, but, I am honest in my reviews and therefore, my review are not coerced. I do book review at my writer’s blog still, when time permits.
3.  Use your social media to announce your book’s launch, links of purchase and any other information complimentary to purchase, for example, where reader can pre-order a copy before it launches.
4. Connect with colleagues on Linkedin… Of course, use all of your social media resources to talk about your book, but I love the connections I’ve made with like-minded professionals on Linkedin because I’ve gotten asked to participate in business ventures, joined esteemed group in my genres, appeared on blog-talk radio to promote my work and had work accepted that will bring awareness to my business brand from which my book is based. The stellar folks you meet on Linkedin can be your book’s game-changer!  You can’t always receive and not be willing to give in return and that’s why I  appreciate LinkedIn connections~ Good business practice.
5. Finally, as a new author, you just have to make your name known, by any lawful means necessary. Get out there and tell people who you are and what your book can do for them before it launches. Be pro-creatively active, y’all and take your book to colleagues, connections, readers, reviewers and critics alike. Bring the food to the influence table! Get to know your local librarian or bookstore owner, talk about your book and set up a reading.Be that ‘expert’ panelist or guest blogger on popular brand websites or blog talk radio spots. Join a twitter chat or host a webinar.

Whether your brand teaches, entertains, motivates , inspires or encourages another to aspire to be the best person s/he can be, in order to make your book a success, you can do what needs to be done to get your book in the hands of readers. There are many creative avenues from which to sell your great book and introduce your expertise and brand to the world. Get on the good foot, new authors, time’s-a-wasting because people all over the world are waiting to read your awesome book!

Did you find this post helpful?  Do you know of other savvy ways new authors can ensure their book sale? Please share in the comments. We’d appreciate your resourceful tips.

I want to give a special thanks to all of my new and seasoned followers for being a part of Clara54 Writers Blog. Y’all bring the Sunshine! I’m taking a brief spring break and will see all of you in a few weeks. In the meantime, keep on grinding and make those book sales, people. 🙂

Women Artists Who Dared to Create From A Room Of Their Own

I want to  dedicate this post to all women, irregardless of whether they’ve been written up in the pages of history books. Women, by their mere existence, create history that is unforeseen and untold every single day that they live and breathe~ so for all women, let me say, Happy Women’s History Month!

The novelist, Virginia Woolf wrote in her famous essay, A Room  of One’s Own, “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” Viewed in a broader sense, the essay could reference any author’s need for poetic license and the personal liberty to create their art.

The artists I’ve chosen to honor for Women’s History Month, in essence, created from a room of their own. The “room” for the most part were of their own choosing, but sadly, one  young girl had no say in the literal sense.  Nonetheless, these women (and many more) craved out an impressive body of creative works that became a historical legacy.

Maya Angelou had me at I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. She was brutally raped as a little girl and only shared this secret with her brother, Bailey. When her uncles found out, the molester was killed. Maya did not speak for 5 years, blaming herself for the molester’s murder.

A 13-year-old Jewish victim of the Holocaust… Anne Frank went into hiding from the Germans with her family and another family for two years in a small annex above the office where her father once worked. It’s reported that Anne, her mom and sister died in the concentration camps and only her father would survive to publish her diary, written while in hiding. 

Anne wrote in her diary that she wished her writings to live on in life. How prophetic her words were.

Nikki Giovanni has often been called a “Revolutionary” poet. All I know is her writing are often based on fact and it is those poems that touches the sensibilities of a nation of readers, including myself. A prolific writer, activist and highly guarded educator, Ms. Giovanni is currently a University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech.

My very favorite of her many works includes: Those Who Ride The Night Winds, poems about the mass murders of young black boys in Atlanta totaling more than 29 young children killed. Ms. Giovanni poems, in my opinion, are a loving eulogy to the memory of those children.  If you haven’t read any of Nikki Giovanni’s work, you are missing out on one of our greatest literary contributors.

I read Pearl S. Buck’s, The Good Earth in High School. The book introduced me to another culture and people with a different way of living. Although American, Ms. Buck lived in China for a while and associated with Chinese culture and tradition. I was impressed by the humanity of The Good Earth as it relates to a country’s change affecting regular people.

Ms. Buck died in 1973, but her Pulitzer prize novel lives on. 

In another life, I opt to come back as Lorraine Hansberry! Not only was she the first African-American woman playwright, she was the first woman of color to have a play produced on Broadway! A Raisin in the Sun was inspired by Poet Langston Hughes poem, Harlem that asks, ” What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the Sun?”

Ms. Hansberry’s play would later inspire Nina Simone’s song, “To Be Young, Gifted and Black!” You know what they say, “The Play’s The Thing.” Lorraine Hansberry was the “ish” and sadly, gone too soon… The playwright died of pancreatic cancer in 1965. Sheer Brilliance!

Here’s a special clip for y’all 🙂

And:

Toni Morrison’s-The Bluest Eye,Tar Baby, Song of Solomon, Beloved and Sula.

Zora Neale Hurston’s  “Their Eyes Were Watching God.” 

When Alice Walker was a little girl, she was playing in the backyard with her brothers, one of whom accidentally hit her in the eye with one of the pellets from his BB gun ( I remember those. My brothers got them for Christmas) . That accident never stopped Alice from living her dreams. One of the biggest dream in history was:

I’ve had several books from these historical women on my bookshelf,  in what I can only describe as a stationary library for many years and felt that I could never part with any of these great works, but, alas, I have and I don’t regret passing them along (donations) to new readers and creatives and curious children who just might dare to dream 🙂

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post. I know that the works of these and other women history making artists are sitting on your bookshelf, vying for a little Women History Month love shout… Please share a few of your fave with us.

Writer’s quote for today:

“Only I hold the pen that will write the story of my life.” Tia Kelly