I wasn't raised to rest on my success. Growing up with parents who expected much, I always know there's always something else to do. Since publishing Sensual Sounds last year, I've been hard at work.
I love the title of my next project, Passion's Embrace. The cover, which I can't wait to share with everyone,is a painting I fell in love with years ago by a very talented artist, Wendy Washington Quarker. That cover sits alongside the original picture used for Sensual Sounds. Both are beautiful reminders to not rest on one's laurels.
The content is another story. After talks with writers and friends, my plan was to use work which didn't make it into Sensual Sounds. Some are signature poems performed on various stages around the country. I've spent countless hours writing and getting feedback on new pieces since completing the manuscript for Sensual Sounds a couple of years ago.
But a funny thing happened within the last 24 hours. First, I finally found an essay I wrote for Seventeen magazine in August, 1982. Entitled "How I Became the 'New' Marcie", I talked about how I lost 128 lbs. during my senior year in high school.
My niece, Marlena, asked to see the article two months ago. I hadn't seen it since moving from Los Angeles nearly three years ago and feared I accidently threw it out. But there it was, along with other clippings from my days as a newspaper reporter at the Grand Rapids Press, Racine Journal Times along with those from Essence magazine.
Re-reading my first piece brought back so many memories. I was a journalism sophmore at Marquette University when I sold this piece to Seventeen. This was my first attempt at freelance writing.
As if this walk down memory lane wasn't enough, my dear friend Antonio, called just as I finished reading the last word of what 20 year-old Marcie had written about herself. Giddy with excitement about finding these gems, I told him about my discovery. We laughed before he thoughtfully mentioned how writing from my heart is such an important gift in this day and time. He added my next project should reflect hope.
So what does this have to do with Passion's Embrace? Stay tuned. As I said to Antonio, I'm mulling over everything he said to me. Essays, poetry, both? Don't know. But rest assured, I'm not going to waste my talent. Or sit still.
Sensual Sounds is available on http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/
I can dig this Marcie!
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