My New Ebooks and Introducing Ingigo Grio Valerie D. Walker

Welcome to the first issue of “This Little Light of Mine,” my monthly newsletter. This is the very first one, so treat me gently as I dip my toe in the waters. I am honoured to be invited into your inbox and look forward to sharing my thoughts, new writing, readings, workshops and interviews with the artists and community movers and shakers that inspire me.

New E-Books

My two books, Back In the Days and Stay Black & Die are now available as e-books. They are available at all major e-book retailers including Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble and Apple Books. Please take a moment to review the book where you buy it, it makes all the difference! The print books are available on my website.

Shining Light on Valerie D Walker

Although I love to write I’m not going to start this Newsletter with my writing/my words, I’m going to begin by shining this little light of mine on Valerie D. Walker:

I would like to introduce you to the electrifyingly talented, Valerie D Walker. 

Valerie is a Renaissance Artist, Alchemist, transmedia maker, educator, curator, Earth positive natural Indigo Grio, radio Wave Creatrix, and BIPOC Femme Afro-futurist time traveller .    

(I’ll give ya’ll a minute to take that in)

She doesn’t only share her Art works globally, Valerie is a generous, encouraging, and electrifying Mentor sharing and collaborating with local artists in many disciplines.

Meet Valerie:

This was the part where you would have met Valerie in person and we would share our recorded Zoom interview conversations.

I am sad to tell you that due to circumstances beyond her control she can not be with us in person but promises to come join us when it is possible. 

Please Send her some Love. 

We don’t have Valerie here in person as planned, but I’m not going to leave you in the dark.  I’m still going shine some light, and give you a few small glimpses of Valerie’s Indigo Art.   

Valerie wearing one of her Indigo dyed shirts and holding one of her small Art pieces

This next glimpse is of panels of her Indigo Art is from her installation at the Vancouver art, gallery, “Disorderly, Annotations and Echos”

Can I tell you that when I looked up at the Indigo Panels fluttering, as they hung from the skylight in the gallery, I was completely captured and enraptured by their beauty.  The poetry and stories they told caught my breath and made my heart race. 

Gazing at them reminded me of some of the same feelings of awe that inspired a poem I wrote as I sat by the seaside in Jamaica: “Can you Hear My Soul“.   May I share it with you?  

Can You Hear My Soul

I can hear the song the water’s ripples make
As they glide across the crystal surface of the Sea
Whoooo, Whooo, Whoo,

I can see the Palm leaves
Fluttering and bending in the breeze
fighting age as the Sun bakes their shiny leaves
I can almost feel your breath
As you come and sit close to me
Curious perhaps, as to why I don’t look over at you
But I am captured
And enraptured
At the beauty of the trees
And the pleasure of the breeze
And the warmth of the sun
That gently bathes me in its glory
And I am searching for the words
That would give justice to this awe …

You move to sit even closer
Can you hear how this beauty beats my heart?
Can you hear the Mmmmn-ing of my Soul? 
Like its my first time
I am holding my breath
The world suspends
Like I’m Tightrope Walking.

 *****                  

Thank you Valerie for sparking the poetry in our Souls. 

Planning this artist interview was so much fun. I promise (and I can hardly wait) to do it again another time when Valerie can be with us in person. 

Why I Write

I thought I’d leave you by sharing some of the reasons why I write…

I Love Words

words that make you laugh
cry,
wonder,
fear,
words that excite you,
delight you,
as you navigate through love,
loneliness,
cruelty,
pain,
joy,
laughter,
and awe

 *****  

Like most writers, I write what I have experienced, what I have witnessed, what I can imagine, and what I can, and have endured. Some stories I never intended to tell, but I realized they deserved life.

It is important to me that when you read and hear my stories, my poems, my history, my dreams, you hear my voice, my personal perspective raw and unsanitized as it takes its place in the world, and like the old gospel song,

I would feel joy, joy, joy, down in my heart if they help to reveal the universal uniqueness and universal sameness of us all. 

Send Me Your Ideas and Reviews

If you, my readers and subscribers, have any literary events or readings to share with me for future newsletters, please leave a comment, send me an email or leave a message on Facebook. Literary or art events and tips for writers helping writers are also welcome. I would love to hear from you. 

P.S. Our featured guest, Valerie D Walker’s Website is www.valeriedwalker.com

Until next time: keep reading, keep writing, and look for the people and things that bring you joy and peace.

Addena