“Faith is a magic moment you arrive at from far, far away.”

The expression came to me while gazing at an image. You know how you sometimes look at an image, exercise your mind in telling a story about it in one or two sentences. And if you gaze at it long enough, come to realize how receptive the image is drawing on personal experience, the short story you tell is likely your own, the eye of the beholder. That you might wonder: Is it you connecting to the image? Or is it the image connecting to you? 

For certain an image invoking such emotion is a compelling one to say the least, and is obviously subjected in the eye of the beholder. In secrecy, because all images have a story to tell.

This particular image whispered to me. Or was it me whispering to it, the girl? 
Pia. Pia Wade. You have come so far for so long; now finally, you’ve made it. I thought this because in Pia’s story it’s in this precise moment her dreams were realized. All in all her fantasy becoming reality. That it was so because she didn’t—couldn’t let go of faith and, eventually, the ultimate call from destiny.  

                                                                        It's the jingle in the bells, the carols in the air, 
                                                                                 the nipping spirits counting down the days.  
                                                                       Mostly it's the far away star warming hearts,  
                                                                                 zipping through time the art of anticipation.
                                                                       No wonder Christmas comes around in a wink.

The constitution is strategic, at times unrevealing, but never flawless in facing tough testaments, as it, in a commanding way,  protects itself.  And so time and time again, the whistle blows. 

We rely on books to:
 
Transport us to another place and meet what we could only imagine;
Draw on our emotions, spread our lips with a smile, make us laugh;
Shed a few happy tears, if not to comfort, lend a shoulder to cry on, provide moral support, guidance.
 
Books bring out the human side of us.
Books are the fabric of our being.
 
"Books Are Like a Spotlight Taking Center Stage in This Grand Place Called Life."

We love quotes; we sought quotes for a spark of wisdom.
 
As I think about the quote I’ve chosen for the month, young readers of past, present and future come to mind: their joyous eyes opening for the first time to the magical world of storytelling, their ABCs unimaginative alive on page. Something about that is classical, as classical as the storytelling itself. From the beginning of time who knew the building blocks of each alphabet would have such a magical impact. Really! And just think! Who do we owe it all to?

Tracing back you may give tribute to the school teachers of Paris 1888 or give tribute to the Egyptians of 15th century BC. If you dig deeper trying to fill the void of missing something or the void of needing more, then look around, see the bright side. And know that somewhere trying to claw its way through the monument of books, is this classic one dying to be discovered, dedicated especially to you.
​
Finding that unique read in stacks and aisles of books galore can be a bit daunting. This is when good recommendations would come in handy. But do keep in mind this one thing while in search of that special book: 

. It’s a quote of belief and spiritually.
. It’s a quote to cherish and embrace.
. It’s a quote from the most classic mind of all times, the Almighty.
​. It is, my dearests, the quote of the month.

Enter for a chance to win a $50 visa card!
​End date March 30th

SOME years ago, when I was teaching a graduate seminar in fiction at Columbia University, a well-known male novelist visited my class to speak on his development as a writer. In discussing his formative years, he didn't realize it but he seriously endangered his life by remarking that women writers are luckier than those of his sex because they usually spend so much time as children around their mothers and their mothers' friends in the kitchen.

What did he say that for? The women students immediately forgot about being in awe of him and began readying their attack for the question and answer period later on. Even I bristled. There again was that awful image of women locked away from the world in the kitchen with only each other to talk to, and their daughters locked in with them.... ---Paule Marshall, From The Poets in The Kitchen---
 
The visual is a clear reminder of how far we have come as women. And in honor of Black History Month, I make a tribute to all black women standing tall in their unique, phenomenal ways.   

​And, a special honor to Paule Marshall's lifelong achievements, and for her narrative "From The Poets In The Kitchen". I first came across the article in The Norton Anthology of African American Literature, but you can find the article here:  https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/09/books/from-the-poets-in-the-kitchen.html

"Images are life's most cherished moments quoted with wings." This expression came to me while coming up with creative ways to market my then-new book, and has since become one of my favorite quotes. It's beautiful--if I say so myself--and its effectiveness will forever ring true. Endlessly will I find new ways to express it.