While I'm consistently involved in several projects at a time, I’ve always considered myself to be most adept in my writing. My thoughts, feelings, and emotions — when not bottled — ended up penned to paper. Despite this, I decided engineering was the passion to follow in my college career. I wanted to set an example for other young, black girls and women interested in STEM careers. Still, I kept writing. Years later, in my thirties, I realized that my raw thoughts and streams of consciousness were something people actually enjoyed reading, particularly when the words stemmed from honest and emotional experiences. The idea that people not only wanted into my brain, but that my words resonated with them was difficult to believe. My dualistic, oft-deemed weird personality, was something people cared to see. Now, here I am, a twice self-published author, who also drew on other unknown skills to create the self-representative nude art for my book covers. The nakedness, in my mind, is symbolic of how poetry reveals the soul.
Sunshine and Whiskey
How did I get here? I'm not sure. My mother has always encouraged me to publish my poetry, but I suppose I never thought it was worth reading. It was only ever an outlet for the things I couldn't say, the emotions I couldn't adequately express. A sort of solace. This collection is divided into five parts. What some of them are about is obvious. Others are not.
The first is called, "Summer." It is a nickname I've had since the womb. It is there that we start. I hope that every subsequent part shows another facet of me, through growth and experience. Inspiration? A little of everything. While I enjoy ekphrastic art and random inspiration, it is not at my core. I write my raw heart.
I don't know if that's art, but it is me and all I can gift you. In that you'll find the most obscure of references and widest variety of muses, whether they be spiritual, sexual, pragmatic, scientific, or pure pop culture. In any case, here I am, naked before you, saying in so many ways, that I crave love and connection.
Innocently Devious
Here we have another happy accident. After mustering the courage to put years’ worth of hidden poetry together into what turned out to be quite a hefty first book, I certainly never intended to write a second. Pulling all my poetry together from archives, blogs, Twitter, and wherever else was a small chore, so while Sunshine and Whiskey was in the editing process, I decided, one February evening, to pull together what I had written in the months since. I discovered I’d written a story with poems.
As I began organizing the manuscript into parts, much like the first one, I realized I was writing the same book again. My vision had not changed or grown. So, I sat on it. Then, everything went to hell. Pandemics and protests. Then, the poems started coming less and less frequently until I couldn’t write at all. I was too deep in my head and in the past to write anything I considered decent. Now, I’m slowly pulling myself together and I finally forced myself to look at what I had written. I could see what I wanted with more clarity.
I began to realize that this story didn’t need to be buried or tainted by the poetry surrounding it, nor did it need to be lost in the external factors of the world. It was already all here, ready to be seen. What is left is raw, passionate thought. I don’t know how to write love stories or romance novels. I don’t quite know how to write happy endings because frankly, I’m still waiting for one. The language might be colorful, flowery, or sensual, or none of those at all, but it’s all me. This is a story many of you have lived and can relate to. I hope you enjoy it in this slightly unusual format..
Be well. Love hard. Live long. Prosper.
Other
Publications
& Readings
○ “First Contact,” Poetry Festival; 9/4/2018
○ “Staircases,” Vita Brevis; 9/26/2018
○ “Boxes,” A Room of Her Own Waves; 9/28/2018
○ “Rambunctious,” The Literary Yard; 10/15/2018
○ “Magic,” The Literary Yard; 10/16/2018
○ “Wax Chaotic,” The Literary Yard; 10/17/2018
○ “Solitude, finally,” The Literary Yard; 10/18/2018
○ “Autumn Heart,” The Literary Yard; 10/19/2018
○ “Crapulous,” Spillwords; 11/10/2018
○ “Lint,” Spillwords; 11/29/2018
○ “Out at Night,” Rue Scribe; 11/29/2018
○ “The Winds,” Rue Scribe; 11/29/2018
○ “In the Right Light,” Rue Scribe; 11/29/2018
○ “Who?”; Spillwords; 8/23/2019
○ ”Eyes and Coasters Go Unused,” Spillwords; 11/7/2019
○ ”Untitled,” Failure Baler; 7/23/2020
○ Chasing Mediocrity - Coming Soon
Support These Artists
One cannot really define art singularly. It comes in all forms and I want to support all of my favorites. Here you will find recommendations for theatre, poetry, cosmetology, body/mind/spiritual therapy, the venues that support them, and more. It is my personal goal to support local artists of interest
Stage Door Productions
I had poems featured in the virtual shows for Black History Month and Women’s History Month. This venue is based out of Fredericksburg, VA, near where I grew up. Collaborative projects consistently in the works.
Your Hair Therapist
Your Hair Therapist featuring professional cosmetologist MarQuette Caldwell. I’ve been seeing MarQuette since 2017. Since then, I’ve been able to transition to natural hairstyles and keep my hair healthy.
Located in Winter Park, FL.
Juaquina She
Saw this lovely, talented woman read from her book and create poetry on the spot from audience topics at a Timucua event. Her poetry is real and raw.
Instagram: @juaquinashe
Timucua Arts Foundation
Local Orlando arts foundation! As of March 2021, I am regularly volunteering to support events and promote the arts. Visit the site to become a member and sign up for the newsletter. Located in Orlando, FL, in SoDo.