That’s right, Rachel is giving me the keys to the house (I hope she has coffee??!). My topic of discussion is on the education of blacks in America and how reading and literature came to be such an important part of the learning process in the transition from slavery to freedom.
When: Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Where: Rachel Poli’s Blog @ http://www.rachelpoli.com
Deafening silence
and the torture
Of stillness
The quiet awe
Of when hearts break
Shattering glass
With no sound
Just pieces of thought matter
And stains of emotions
Smeared
No one will look up
Because pain has no sound
No warning
Except to pen a tear
The silent scribble
Of the scribe
When hearts break
In crowded rooms
Writers must understand what their responsibility is as a voice. As a shofar to the world. Low self-worth, ignorance, and low self-esteem can be smelled from miles away. The stench of give up is not something that is difficult to discern. If you dare to write, then dare also to own it. Your words, your message, and your purpose is something that must not be shared timidly. It’s not about arrogance, for arrogance will surely destroy you. What it is about is writing with authority and making yourself responsible for every word, every syllable, and every piece of heart contextualized. Humility is understanding who guides you every day and who came before you. It is not thinking less of yourself. Every blog post, every email, and every book demand from you a responsibility. You are responsible for being professional, exact, kind, and factual despite how inappropriate others may be. You do not have the permission to curse people or spew opinions that are not rooted in fact. You are a writer and this is your responsibility. When it comes to writing, there is no modesty for the words that you put on the page. If you cannot strip yourself down to the bare minimum and expose your gift for what it is then what are you doing writing? In the words of Maya Angelou, “Life will knock a modest person down faster than a G-string falls off a stripper”. If you cannot take advice on how to better your work, what are you doing writing? If you cannot take it the same as you dish it, then what are you doing writing? What you do will come back. If you can give constructive criticism then be able also to take it. So what people think negatively about you. Their loss. Accepting correction is part of your responsibility as every artist or professional is told what they don’t want to hear at least some of the time. If this is something you can’t handle then again I ask you, what are you doing writing? The same applies to every profession. Dare not put your trust in man for man will always disappoint you. Instead, see every critique, every negative, every mistake, as part of the gift and the growth. You don’t have to agree with me but you will respect me and I will respect you. Not for you alone but because it is my responsibility as a person and as an artist to do so. Authors, you are a fountain of information. If you cannot hurricane Katrina, or tsunami this with the world and be confident and open about it, then what are you doing writing? To be courageous is not just a choice, but it is your responsibility. Every word I stitch into this blog, every piece I spit on stage, and every book I publish comes with trembling fear. But it is a fear that I must use as energy I need to push on. Always forward. Despite those looking for grains of fault in every post I publish, hoping to catch me in a trap as to accuse me of not being the person I’ve always shown myself to be. Despite this, I must write. Even if I do not speak (muteness is addictive. I’ll shut down with the quickness and write you notes as Maya did), I must write. I must do so because it is my responsibility. What’s my point here? Stop complaining. Are you a writer? Then be strong. Own it. You are here and you have something to do.
Updated: This post has been revised and updated on 8/12/18
Obviously, the best way to support an author is to purchase their books. This helps us financially as well as build our fan base. If you like the book we hope that you will be back for more.
There are so many advantages to you reviewing a book after you’ve read it. Amazon’s algorithm judges the author’s popularity and therefore the book’s quality as a product to promote by sales and reviews. It gives those who have not read it insight into what the book is about (beyond the blurb), helps them to see if it’s worth reading, and shows readers that others are talking about the author. This is important because Indie Authors have to do a lot themselves and will often be seen self-promoting. Book Reviews give us a chance to involve others unrelated to the work to do the promoting for us. As an author, this shows readers that you aren’t just tooting your own horn. Others enjoy your writing too. Book reviews are a form of social proof.
If you don’t have time to review it, rating it is just as good. It will bring more attention to the book and make it more visible to readers. You can rate books via Amazon and Goodreads. This shows up at the top of your updates for your friends to see just like if you left a review. Also, if you rate a book it will automatically mark the book as read (so don’t rate books you haven’t actually read).
Again, this boosts a book’s credibility. The more people who mark the book as “To Read” the more attention if gets from people looking at the page. The book will also show up at the top of your timeline so that other readers can see it too, boosting visibility for the author. If you know of an author and you’d like to support them but you can’t purchase or review their book right now, head on over to their page on Goodreads and mark the book as “To read”. They’ll appreciate it. Also, if you’re an author, be sure to set up an Author Account on Goodreads. When you first join, you will be defaulted to a reader account. To learn how to upgrade to an author account, read this article HERE.
If the author has the link to their amazon page on their site you can just click it and push the follow author button. However, if not you can always search them. Go to Amazon.com and enter their name into the box. Amazon’s search engine acts similar to Google’s so I am sure you will find the author you’re looking for. When you find them, follow their Amazon page to be alerted to new books.
Scroll through the author’s reviews and pick one of their best ones. Then, if it’s helpful in determining your decision on whether or not to buy, click that it is helpful. Like ratings and reviews, this helps the book to show up more as a recommended read.
Other ways to support an author include, but are not limited to:
Remember, it’s no whining Wednesday! The one day of the week where you do not get to Whine, Complain, or Criticize. Is this your first NWW? Check out the first post for details on what it’s about. Click Here.
Our inspiring quote for today is about the Silver Lining. But first, what is the silver lining?
Silver Lining – Use the term silver lining when you want to emphasize the hopeful side of a situation that might seem gloomy on the surface. The common expression “every cloud has a silver lining” means that even the worst events or situations have some positive aspect. (Google)
Today, I want you to look for the silver lining. If you come across a situation or feel yourself complaining, I want you to actively and consciously look for the good in that situation (however bad it may be). If you look for it, I am sure you will find it.
Like a fist full of light
and the sun is going down
Write
Like your life is on the line
And you got something
to die for.
Dear Love,
your voice is the sound of pages
I’ve been waiting to read my entire life
like run on sentences
in a book too perfect to end
tell me
how do you shackle power to punctuation
If I could
I would end this poem with a period
or place a comma in the places I need
to catch my breath
but you
will only rush to the tips of my fingers
you see love
will only leak
from the pores in my skin
like the sounds of many waters
flooding its way from Noah’s Ark
you shelter me
like an infant
carefully encased in its mother’s womb
before language existed
before there was ever a need of capital letters
dear captain
you chose us
before there was a thing called history
sucking at its mother’s breast
we are nurtured by the past
to understand the future
Dear Love,
you are the answer to every question
and the sound of your mercy
is the only thing worth setting my alarm clock to
so I’ve chosen to reverence you this way
with outstretched pieces of paper
and ink pens
and a medley of words
all purposed to form the letters of your name
all destined to sing your praise
with no punctuation
no commas
or periods
or apostrophes
just run on sentences
limitless
like sign language I don’t remember learning in Public School
and while my tongue clings to the roof of my mouth
while my heart waits
I’ll write you poems
in the form of prayers
on the palms of my hands
and I’ll leave them running
like fountains of compassion
overflowing the levees of thought
I’ll leave them open
unedited
unrevised
and grammatically incorrect
so you’ll read me
like you always do
and never forget what my heart looks like
with no punctuation
because all the world has ever needed
was love.
Crafting Compelling Stories from the Heart
Rest is Resistance
goodies from my mailbox and camera
I am more than breath & bones. I am nectar in waiting.
virtually travel with us
Dr. Andrea Dinardo, Ph.D., Psychology
Supporting and Promoting Indie Authors
Adventures in Writing
Writer, Reviewer, Activist
The best Mommy advice on all things kids
Writing Advice from a YA Author Powered by Chocolate and Green Tea
Parenting Blogger, Poet & Storyteller, and Children's Book Author.
Changing the World one Article at a time
where all emotions are cared for!
Entertaining Stories and Motivational Quotes
Sweet As Honey Among The Pages.
press on to know the lord
Changing the world, one word at a time.
Featuring books written by authors of color.
Essays, art and poetry
Leaving it all on the page because we are all shattered mirrors looking to mend our images.
Casting Alerts. Podcast series and talent directory about Blacks in Hollywood
Let's Talk About Books
Always on the hunt for a good story
The PBS Blog 