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Book Review: Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia – A Life in Poems by Patricia Neely-Dorsey

August 21, 2009 Joey Pinkney 1 Comment

Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia
by Patricia Neely-Dorsey
(GrantHouse Publishing)
4 out of 5 Stars

In a time where most people shun being called “country”, Patricia Neely-Dorsey’s Reflection of a Mississippi Magnolia embraces all that is Mississippi country living. Before you can even open this collection of poetry, you are greeted with the beauty of a magnolia, Mississippi’s state flower.

Neely-Dorsey’s poems vividly and collectively paint a picture of a life that is simple yet provides rich experiences. From the authentic Southern menu found in “Soul Food Restaurant” to the culture depicted in “Yardsaling”, this collection of poetry gives more than a glimpse into lives of the good people of Mississippi. From the “Southern Man” poem where the main character fixes the back fence to the truth found in “If Mississippi’s In You”, Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia shows a genuine pride in Southern culture.

I spent many summers in the small town of Winona, MS, where my dad still lives. I can say with confidence that Neely-Dorsey is an artist of words. Her images are painted vividly across the canvas of your mind as you thumb through her musings. Her words and rhyme patterns are simple, yet the complex imagery the words evoke will whisk yo down memory lane. I remember the “muscadines ripen[ing] on winding vines” (from “A Country View”) and using Vick’s Vapor Rub on everything “from arthritis to [a] bee sting” and “on chest or back” (from “Country Cure (All)”).

With Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia, Patricia Neely-Dorsey gives the world a book that is part biography, part rhymes, part imagination but all Mississippi!

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5 minutes 5 questions with, interview, poems, poet, poetry

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… John “Survivor” Blake, author of Warm Tequila and Cold Blood

August 19, 2009 Joey Pinkney

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Intervie
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
John â€œSurvivorâ€ Blake, author of Warm Tequila and Cold Blood

â€œJohn â€œSurvivorâ€ Blake enters a place in his writing that few others I know dare to. With a pristine voice of epic magnitude, Blakeâ€™s words pull the reader or listener into the heart of his raw, fragmented truth of unshakeable power. He understands the incredible responsibility of being an artist; as much as anyone I have ever known.â€ – Carlos AndrÃ©s GÃ³mez.

What if someone pointed out a homeless vagrant to you and said, “That’s going to be a well-known poet and biographer, and he’ll change lives around the world?” Would you laugh; raise an eyebrow and inquire as to their usage of narcotics; check them for a fever? Imagine a man against all odds; born dopesick, poverty-stricken, expected to fail… then a poem saves his life!

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Warm Tequila and Cold Blood?

John Blake: Well, after losing my immediate family to heroin, AIDS and prison, I battled with depression for years. I couldn’t accept I was going to go through life. At the time, I was only 34 and already without my parents and most of my siblings.

I began finding sanctuary in bottles of tequila. By the time I got to the bar, I couldn’t wait for the bartender to shake, stir or prepare my drinks. I told them to “just give it to me warm”.

The world just seemed so cold to me. Tequila felt like the only warmth in my life. Television began to depress me; glory-killing, girls too young for what they were advertising on the screen, the news, politics, everything just seemed “cold blooded”.

JP: What sets Warm Tequila and Cold Blood apart from other collections of poetry?

JB: Three things: (1) CÃ¡rlos AndrÃ©s GÃ³mez told me, “Poetry’s like sex; nothing happens until you get your clothes off”. So I got very, very vulnerable with this book. I expressed my ideas and experiences that I would not normally share with strangers.

(2) Editors. I wasn’t afraid to let some of the best modern poets of our nation take a look at my work and guide me to an exceptional place: Samantha Thornhill, Jeanann Verlee, Rachel McKibbens, Rose Smith, Rob Sturma, Laura Yes, and many others.

(3) I stopped caring with publishers wanted. That was my biggest mistake in the beginning: writing for publishers when all the while I should have been trying to purge what my spirit was telling me to get rid of; what my poems demanding that I scribe!

JP: What are the titles of the other poetry collections you have self-published? And tell us a little about them.

JB: Well, the first was Leap from the Cliff: Wings Only Grow When Needed, which was the first risk I took with writing. It’s still the favorite of most admirers of my work. Then came Mama Said which was an entire book of about twenty poems dedicated to my Mom and other single, hard-working women around the world.

Then I wrote Warm Tequila and Cold Blood and When Peace Comes and published them at the same time. Warm Tequila and Cold Blood was a serious purging and When Peace Comes was the acceptance. I’ve come full circle with the dope, the booze, the loss and all the other pain. I’ve climbed over and landed smooth.

JP: What do you do to get your poetry known to the public?

JB: Everything from selling my merchandise directly after shows to offering free copies to bookstores in every city I tour. I began by selling them in Union Square Park. I had a table, and I’d even walk up to groups offering to share my art. It took courage, but what doesn’t?

JP: What’s next for John “Survivor” Blake?

JB: I’m taking on my memoir and The Greyhound Essays. The memoir will be a five-part series, and the first book will be title Drifting from Fire because my grandmother promised my biracial parents that nothing would hurt me too deep; racism, poverty…nothing; that I would overcome it all like smoke “drifting from fire”.

The essays will be about my cross-country travels from poetry venue to college to jails; facilitating workshops and performing. I rode Greyhound buses for most of it, and you’d be amazed what I learned about this nation and its residents. So The Greyhound Essays are coming. Then I plan on sitting next to Oprah on ABC and telling the world “Nothing, nothing can stop us as long we we’re willing to walk through it”.

http://www.johnsurvivorblake.com
http://www.facebook.com/johnsurvivorblake

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5 minutes 5 questions with, poems, poet, poetry

5 minutes, 5 Questions With… Cedrine Marrouat, author of Project: Heartbeats and Elevation

July 5, 2009 Joey Pinkney 4 Comments

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Cendrine Marrouat, author of Project: Heartbeats and Elevation
(Lulu)

Project: Heartbeats And Elevation is not your regular collection of poetry. It is a celebration of Life, Love and Spirituality. Word after word, line after line, poem after poem, let your heart and soul commune with God…

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Project: Heartbeats and Elevation?

Cendrine Marrouat: God is my main inspiration in everything I do. I wanted to write about my belief in him and how it helps me to see Life and Death as a continuum of the same process.

I always pen my best poetry at night. But, before I can actually start writing anything, I need to find a title. Otherwise, inspiration will not come. So, one night, while finishing a poem, the title Project: Heartbeats and Elevation popped out without warning. I wrote it on a piece of paper and thought: “Wow! That would make an awesome poem!”

I set about writing something and, before I knew it, I had ten poems. They were short but powerful. The next day, I showed what I had done to a friend, and they were ecstatic: “You absolutely have to write a book. The message will give hope to many.” That is how the book was born…

JP: What sets Project: Heartbeats and Elevation apart from you other collection of poetry?

CM: When I wrote my other books, I was three years younger and in a different frame of mind. My belief in God was already strong, but not as strong as it is today. I have grown a lot since then.

As a translator, I love to translate what I write in French, my mother tongue. Sometimes, I do the same in English, with my French poems. I find this to be a very good exercise, as it forces me to detach myself from my work.

Hence, I can say that what sets Project: Heartbeats and Elevation apart from my other collections of poetry is the sense of joy and hope that emerges. I am confident that those who will read it will agree.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Project: Heartbeats and Elevation getting out to the public?

CM: God as a motivating force is the key to my success. I was given a wonderful gift through him: poetry. As such, monetary gain is of secondary importance. It is the reason why I chose self-publishing. Although this process takes time, patience and dedication, it also gives me enough freedom to go at my own pace and promote my books the way I want.

I just want people to see that Spirituality and God are not some vain words. They can actually help you to overcome the greatest hurdles and make you a better individual. If I can reach one person and have them realize that, then my job is done!

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish Project: Heartbeats and Elevation?

CM: I do not write often. Sometimes, I will spend weeks without penning anything. And when I work on a poem, I like to take my time. I choose my words carefully, making sure that they reflect the person I am deep inside.

In the case of Project: Heartbeats and Elevation, I started sometime in the middle of 2008. Then, I took a long break and resumed work in February 2009. A month later, I had it proofread. In April, the book was ready for release… VoilÃ !

JP: What’s next for Cendrine Marrouat?

CM: I want to continue writing, of course. I plan on releasing my two plays in book format through Lulu or other means. Also, I have just started working on a poetry CD/DVD project.

My objective is to release it within a year. I have created three videos so far, and they can be watched here: http://www.youtube.com/soulpoetrysite. They are also downloadable for free on Itunes. Obviously, I need to improve their quality, but they are good examples of what the poetry CD/DVD will be about.