JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Byron Garrett, editor of Songs from the Heart, Melodies of the Soul
(Esquire Publications)

I have always loved to write poetry and share my thoughts on page with others. I wrote this book Songs from the Heart, Melodies of the Soul directly after my mother passed away. My mother was someone who was always there for me no matter what, where or when, I could always speak to her about anything.

My mother shared a lot of herself not only with my sister and I, but to anyone who she could. That is the one thing that I wanted to come from this book. I wanted to let people know, through my poetry, how I could love her, her thoughts and what she taught me from a child.

Songs from the Heart, Melodies of the Soul is my way of writing something for everyone, and I hope that everyone who reads it, will appreciate it in some kind of way.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Songs From the Heart, Songs From the Soul?

Byron Garrett: I have always loved to write poetry. I can remember being a youngster, writing poetry and wanting to make what I wrote, sound good and come together well on paper and when spoken.

JP: What sets Songs From the Heart apart from other collection of poetry?

BG: As a poet, I always write from my heart. I do not go to the library or any other source to look for material to write about. I have been through a lot in my life. I have survived a major car accident that had me in three different hospitals for a very long period of time between the 24th of December 1980 until the middle of the spring of 1981.

There were other things that happened to me as a child that I will always have as a part of me, that inspire me to write as well.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Songs From the Heart getting out to the public?

BG: Well, I learn a lot from what I see around me. I have a very good “person sense” that I pride myself on. The one thing that I have learned in my 42 years of living so far is that anyone can learn a lot from those around them.

Being a new author, I wanted to make sure that I learned from some one who was more “seasoned” in writing and publishing than I was. I spoke to Ms. Elva Thompson, who is the owner of the publishing company that I am with (Esquire Publications) as often as I could.

I wanted to make sure that I had the “fine points” that I wanted to convey to everyone, detailed and sounding as good as I could in the book as well as I could. I wanted someone to read my poetry, who would really have an “open mind” and direct me as much as possible.

Joey, I appreciate her so very much for all of the assistance that she gave me not only when it came to editing but in just seeing “my words” came across on page.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish Songs From the Heart?

BG: I write from feeling. It can be anytime of the day or night. I always have words in my mind that I want to put on paper, but it is only at certain times of the day or night when I can think “clearly enough” to start writing, and to actually “form” a poem.

I can only do this when it is quiet. That is, for the most part, at night or very early (between 2 and 4 am) that is when I do most of my writing.

As for the time period to write this book, I started in the middle of March of this year, and it was completed I’d say right around the first to the middle of May.

JP: What’s next for Byron Garrett?

BG: I have already started my second book and I am hoping to have it finished by the spring of next year.

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