Vocal Expressions

Yes, Maya Angelou was indeed a phenomenal woman.  We are reminded of this throughout all her biographies where she exposes herself to us through her religious beliefs, her politics, her struggles to find success, her love for the arts, her son and her family. In this third installment of her seven autobiographies, readers are introduced to Maya, the singer, dancer, and all round performer. We learn how her name came to be (Maya from her brother and Angelou a derivative from her married name, Angelos). Hence Maya Angelou was born.   She had me cheering for her throughout the book especially when she walked through her marital woes, showing her son how to be a good boy, and trying out for parts in clubs and on Broadway to make ends meet.  When she got her big break to go on tour with Porgy and Bess, she transported me to many places (Egypt, Italy, Yugoslavia, Paris, etc.). Her descriptions of the people, the sights, the sounds and the smells were very vivid and I could imagine mysel

Author’s Bio: Maxine Bigby Cunningham is an engaging, inspiring, and empowering speaker, workshop facilitator, writer, and mental health advocate.  She is the creator of The Empowered Walking Steps to Wellness ä , a proprietary system for overcoming impediments to mental and emotional wellbeing.  Her audiences learn novel tools and “inside-out” strategies for optimal wellbeing - body, mind and spirit.  Cunningham is the author of POWER WALKING, A Journey to Wholeness , a metaphorical recounting of her recovery from a chronic mental illness, and a contributing author of Surviving Shocking Situations, Finding the Courage to Succeed in spite of Painful Moments . Cunningham completed studies at Goucher College, Syracuse University, George Washington University, the Federal Executive Institute and Baltimore School of the Bible.  She is a member of the Black Writers’ Guild of Maryland, NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), City Temple of Baltimore (Baptist), and Delta Sigma T

Author’s Bio: Leonard Anderson Jr. is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Leonard obtained his Master’s Degree in Health Administration from St. Joseph’s University in 2012 and is currently a manager at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. Leonard writes in multiple genres including Fiction, Poetry, Children’s Books and Romance/Suspense. Leonard’s works can be found at www.leonardandersonjr.com , www.leonardandersonjrkids.com , Amazon and other online retailers. What inspired you to write your book? I became intrigued with Romance/Suspense after reading a novel called “Gotta Let It Go . ” Primarily a fiction writer, I wanted to go outside of my box and create in this genre. Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult? Langston Hughes Is this your first book? How long did it take to start and finish your book? This is my 8 th novel and 6 th children’s book. The amount of time varied with each proje

On Sunday, December 6, 2015, I exhibited with the Maryland Writers' Association (Montgomery chapter) at the Greenbelt Festival of Lights in Greenbelt, MD. The place was chock full of artisans, authors, etc. and lots of folks milling around looking for the perfect Christmas gift. I had a great time hanging out with my table mates. Here are some photos from the event.

On Saturday, December 5, 2015 I attended the Black Writers' Guild Meeting at the Enoch Pratt Library - Penn North in Baltimore, MD. Wilma Brockington-Parker presented a workshop titled: I'm Coming Out: How to Get Unstuck and Start Writing." She discussed the following objectives: Self-discover what hinders you from writing Participate in exercises to help spark your creativity Learn strategies to get your thoughts on paper Jumpstart your writing towards finishing a project This workshop was very interactive. It included some writing exercises which we did individually and as a group. To tell you the truth, these exercises really got my writing juices flowing. So, I'm ready to get my writing on! Here are some photos from the workshop.