Intimate Conversations Deborah Renee
Deborah Renee, author of A Better Kind of Madness: Vivid Poetic Images. Deborah Renee has worked in the field of MH/MR, and with individuals with physical disabilities in direct care and as a case manager for eight years. She spent time employed as a coordinator and tutor in an adult literacy program, and also worked in customer service at an internet-based company. For the past several years, she has worked as a Nursing Assistant with AIDS patients, and the geriatric population in hospice, short-term and long-term care. She has had several poems published in various magazines, including Writer's World, Cat Fancy Magazine and Poet Sanctuary Reflections 2010. Through the years she's taken study courses at Community College of Philadelphia and Temple University in Education. She spent parts of her childhood growing up in Sanford, Florida; Willingboro, New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she currently resides. This is her first published collection of poems. She currently works as a Rehab Assist in a Geriatric Care Facility. Visit her website at: www.bettermadness.com.
BPM: Tell us about your latest book of poetry, A Better Kind of Madness.
The title of my book is A Better Kind of Madness. It is a self-published book, and I worked the self-publishing company called iUniverse.com. My book is also listed for sale on their web site. All of the information you asked for is on my web site such as author info, book info, ISBN number, price, excerpts etc.
BPM: What are you most thankful for now?
I am most thankful for the essential qualities of life such as family, friends, health, the sunrises and sunsets, favorite foods, searching for peace and joy in all things, having a home and spiritual practices such as the solitude of nature,meditation and prayer. Just being able to see, hear or walk are things we often take for granted. These are all special blessings, more worthwhile than we notice from day to day. I am thankful to God for all these things.
BPM: When did you get your first inkling to write, and how did you advance the call for writing?
My first desire to write occurred when I was a child growing up; and actually started as a passion to read. I loved the idea of being able to tell a story that could possibly fascinate others and affect the way they think about life. Mostly, as I grew up, I only wrote for my own need for self-expression in my own personal journals. It was a way to help sort out my feelings about the world, internal and external. My writing desire, along with my practice of regularly writing was pushed aside through most of my adult life, because I was so busy working at other jobs; and writing didn't really seem practical when it came to making a living. Writing began to be seen as one of those dreams that we had as a child, but gave up on in order to become adults. So even the desire to write was always there within myself, it was repressed. I can not explain it, but something inside kept tugging at my soul to write. I had some time off work through a lay-off and other circumstances. This situation gave me a lot of free time and it seemed like during this time all I could do was write. I was re-discovering my first love and my true passion, and it was wonderful! This (writing) was what I wanted to do ... it was the thing that brought me contentment, joy and peace.
BPM: How did you initially break into the publishing industry? What road did you travel? How do you feel about self-publishing?
I decided to self-publish my book from the very beginning. I am very happy that this is an alternative that is now available to so many writers. It gives many new writers exposure that otherwise might be denied to them.
BPM: Do you have anyone in your life that was heavily influential in your deciding to become an author?
Yes, my father was the one who would always tell me as I was growing up that one day I would write a book. He said the reason is because I had a great imagination. He thought that I could be effective at writing, but I was not convinced.
BPM: Introduce us to your poetry book and style of writing. Do you have any favorite poems from the book?
My book is a wonderful poetry book full of vivid imagery and rich emotions. It is full of the beauty of nature, and sometimes the ugliness of human nature. The poetry in all the chapters except Humorology are built around certain key words. Some poems are inspirational, some are political, some are memoir poems and some are humorous. Some poems, such as the Basketown Anthology is designed just for laughs. Also the poems are written in various forms such as free verse, rhyming, non-rhyming, haiku etc. My poems are specially designed to be easy reading and easy to understand, since I don't like to write poems that are too obscure. My favorite poems are The Day the Washing Machine Broke, Crumbs in the Wind, It Vanishes, Jigsaw Puzzles, No Thinking Allowed, Simply Moon, A Kitchen Kind of Love and Flashes of Serendipity. However, truth be told, it is difficult to pick all my favorites; and I assure that the readers will feel the same way!
BPM: Who do you want to reach with your book A Better Kind of Madness and the message enclosed?
My book is designed to reach all people. It is a very human book written by a very human person, so I can not think of anyone who would be out of reach from its words. The messages in my poetry are designed to bring smiles to the readers' face, to expand the readers' consciousness, to cause folks to think about the world we live in, to be more in touch with their souls, and make hearts flutter.
BPM: What should readers do after reading this book?
My strongest desire would be for readers to share it with others they know. To share their favorite poems with others. Or perhaps to see the dawn or the trees a little differently, or to taste and hear rainbows, listen to jazz another way, enjoy solitude and be inspired. Pass the words of the poems around.
BPM: A Legacy is something that is handed down from one period of time to another period of time. Finish this sentence- "My writing offers the following legacy to future readers..."
My writing offers the following legacy to future readers...essential poetry on justices, the effect of injustices, search for truth and the beauty in life; and peoples' success or defeat in seeking these things. Mostly, thinking critically about life and being in tuned to yourself and your spirit, and acknowledging the Creator.
A Better Kind of Madness by Deborah Renee
A Better Kind of Madness presents an exciting new poetry collection focused on visual imagery that seeks to engulf the senses of the reader and carry them into new realms and horizons of thought. The simple, imaginative verse contains layers of meaning, full of strong emotional content peppered with joy and humor, wit and wackiness, anger and sadness, all written with sincere passion. In this, her first collection, poet Deborah Renee shares poetry that is honest, emotional, and heartfelt-verses designed to speak to anyone and everyone.
This book will teach you how to love poetry.
This book will show you how to feel poetry.
Words for where you live inside.
Allow your imagination to stretch for a moment.
Come walk this country road with me.
No Thinking Allowed Song (from Fire Shadows chapter)
by Deborah Renee
They tell you stupid
And teach minds dumb
Steal you from real
Until conscience is numb
They grasp you down
To where you never been
Just try to climb up
They pull you down again
They break your spirit
And say it is your fault
Because you wouldn't feast
On the lies they taught
They want to make you
What you don't want to be
Deceive your inner sight
So that you cannot see
They walk in rotten
And teeth smile pretend
They want to take you
To hell with them.
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Copyright © 2010 by Deborah Renee. Excerpted and reprinted for promotional purposes with permission of the author. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. All poems included in the book A Better Kind of Madness. Read more about it at: www.bettermadness.com
Purchase books at the Deborah Renee website: www.bettermadness.com
Order your copy today from Amazon, click here.
Twitter: twitter.com/betterMadness
Email: 4privatewords@gmail.com
Web Site: www.bettermadness.com
Blog: bettermadness.authorsxpress.com
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