Writer's Voices

If you’ve ever had the experience of having someone close to you die, you may recall feeling overwhelmed; not sure what to do. Gloria Dixon, an Iowa CPA and experienced business owner, thought she was prepared for her husband Charles’ death after a lengthy illness, but even so she soon found herself faced with a few surprises.

Gloria couldn’t find a straight-forward, step-by-step guide on the subject, so she decided to write it herself. Part memoir and part how-to, “After Death: When You Lose a Loved One, Do You Know What To Do” is sincere and informative.

As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison

I thought to myself…. you’re not a writer, how are you going to do this? But I still woke up every morning and just had a strong urge to write so I kept doing it.  Before you know it I had a book.

Forbes is the great, great, great granddaughter of Ralph Waldo Emerson, who also lost his young son from a similar cause. Her family history included Presidential advisers and tycoons as well as the famous writer. It also included many ghosts who still showed up at the family residences and though rarely mentioned, their presence was taken for granted. It’s an interesting juxtaposition of logic and spirituality that led Forbes to successfully connect with Charlotte on the other side.

It is impossible to read this account without being touched. In the interview, Sukey discusses what it was like to write with raw emotion, stating that the most emotional parts were in some ways the easiest to write.

I wrote this book because I needed it on my nightstand, once I made the decision to live. There was nothing out there that gave me the hope that life could one day be as good or better.

If you come to believe that death is not the end, you will release unlimited potential in yourself. You will also have conquered your greatest fear.

Paul’s previous boos include the self-published Wild Joy: Ruminations, and Journey into Oneness, published by O-Books of London, England. He has also released a Spoken Word CD entitled Wild Joy Released: The Ecstatic Poetry of Paul Goldman.

Paul travels extensively throughout the United States performing his poetry, and has a wide following on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. You can learn more about Paul at his website, www.ecstaticpoet.com.

There has to be some major surrender of concepts in order to cross that bridge into the neurophysiological change that is actual awakening.

Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.

Since founding Ice Cube Press in North Liberty, Iowa, Steve Semken has been busy publishing other authors.  Still, he finds time to write.  His seventh book,is titled “Soul External: Rediscovering the Great Blue Heron.”   Orion Magazine’s late environmental book reviewer  Peter Sauer, called this hard-to define book “mythological natural history.”  We’re including it in our memoir section because this beautiful volume is that too, as well as poetry, inspiration, spirituality, and even graphic design.

In “Diamond Grove Slave Tree,” national poetry slam team member and writing teacher Xavier Cavazos paints an unforgettable portrait of George Washington Carver in verse. From the titular poem that describes a lynching that the young Carver witnessed in Missouri, to the poem about his death, the words are spare yet powerful.

Xavier Cavazos earned his MFA in Creative Writing and the Environment from Iowa State University, the same school where Carver studied botany as its first black student in the 1890’s before becoming the first black faculty member. He was later recruited by Booker T. Washington to head the Ag Department at the newly formed Tuskegee Institute.

“Diamond Grove Slave Tree” is the winner of Ice Cube Press’ 2014 Prairie Seed Poetry Contest.

Minds are like parachutes – they only function when open.

On the MFA in Creative Writing and the Environment: “There is a major focus on environment and sustainability at ISU in Ames…. the hope is the MFA students will have the science classes inform their writing… and be voices for nature.”

From this single, simple humanitarian effort grew Mary’s Meals, which provides a daily meal to children at their place of education. At the time of this interview, Mary’s Meals was working in 13 countries and feeding almost 1 million children daily. All profits from this book go to support Mary’s Meals and it’s mission – Every child deserves an education and enough to eat.

Whether your glass is half-empty or half-full, just be grateful you have a glass with something in it.

I don’t think there’s anyone in the world who can’t play a part in the mission of Mary’s Meals one way or the other, and we’re all equally important.

This experiment quickly turned into both a book (“the Joy of Missing Out: Finding Balance in a Wired World”) and a TEDx talk: (“Letting Go of Technology: Pursuing a People-focused Future”) and has led Christina to a successful speaking career.

Fact checking is quick on-line but it is not easy because there is so much misinformation.

We have enabled our online media to sandwich itself squarely between ourselves and others.