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Congratulations to Zaneta Varnado Johns!
Check out the new addition to Encore! Zaneta Varnado Johns entered her latest poetry collection, “Encore” in the American Writing Awards and received the Finalist Badge!
Finalist: 2024 American Writing Awards
Internationally recognized poet and author Zaneta Varnado Johns is back, fueled by passion, purpose, and steady acclaim. She is spiritually grounded, filled with love, appreciation and awe. In response to the loud applause garnered by her two previous poetry collections, Johns presents Encore: A Collection of Poetry. Featuring ninety-nine select poems, Encore is a gift from the author’s heart. In the book’s Dedication, Johns states, “For every relative, friend, poet, and organizational leader who pushed, prodded, nudged, and encouraged me: this one’s for you. I titled this book to acknowledge your applause. I heard it. I loved it. I responded. This is your encore-from my heart to yours.” Some poems, previously featured globally in anthologies, make an encore appearance in this collection.
Take your seat and prepare to be enchanted by Encore’s stellar performance. Encore begins with romantic musings and essences sparked by the poet’s life and thoughtful interpretations of the lives of others. Poetic threads are woven through lyrics inspired by favored locales. From Hawaii to Boston’s Cape Cod, Colorado to Greece, Johns writes as she marvels at her surroundings and experiences. Her compassion for people is beautifully expressed either as poetic observations or unique tributes found in the chapter titled, “In Awe.” The heartwarming “Joy in Her Swing” celebrates the resilience of five-year-old Azaria whose mother and grandmother passed away within three years of each other, entrusting her care to her grandmother’s devoted selfless childhood friend. Johns’ prose poem, “She Speaks for Me,” is a masterpiece showcasing renowned African and African American women poets who persuade her writing.
Johns has a lot to say about the human condition. Some poems are concise while others are grouped in the chapters titled “Rants and Spiels” or “Keynotes.” She passionately addresses hunger, gun violence, women’s empowerment, and prejudice, among other contemporary issues. Anyone with a heart will be stirred by “Hunger, a Global Tragedy” and “It Has to Stop,” two poignant poems illuminating the realities of hunger and the poet’s gut-wrenching reaction to yet another senseless school shooting. Johns is a personal figure in “Not Eclipsed” and “Life as a Breeze,” expressions concerning skin color and prejudice.
Johns imparts the spirit of Hawaii’s aloha in Encore’s message. “My Walk Along the Ocean” and “Blessed Life” are examples of poems reflecting tranquil moments of immense gratitude. Encore’s expressions are accompanied by complementary images and quotes-the poet’s signature accent found in her two previous collections. With Encore, Zaneta Varnado Johns leaves an indelible mark with every word and artistic rendering.
Congratulations to Zan!
You can check it out on ProlificPulse.com It’s front-page news!!
My poems were published in “The Short of It”
Thank You to Susi Bocks for today’s Feature. Have a look:
“Cadence-Life’s Poetic Rhythms” has placed as a Finalist for the American Writing Awards! Congratulations to all who have contributed to this anthology!
Isn’t this Amazing! Well, I am not surprised, really. The contributions were outstanding for this Anthology. Congratulations! You are all winners!
About the American Writing Awards
Special Thanks to Zaneta Varnado Johns for her dedication to co-editing this anthology. I could not do this without her.
ANNOUNCEMENT! “End of Earth” by Nolcha Fox and Mike Armstrong is now available!
Poet Nolcha Fox and Artist Mike Armstrong have known each other for over 30 years. It is only natural that this would result in an amazing collaboration. “End of Earth – A Collaboration of Poetry and Painting” is the result. The rich, colorful, expression art by Armstrong encouraged Fox’s poetic muse to create these thought-provoking poems.
Such a collaboration is like no other and, well, you must see this for yourself. It is a little book with a big WOW factor. This would make a lovely gift for art and poetry lovers.
What do others have to say?
End of Earth, a Collaboration of Poetry and Painting, by Nolcha Fox and Mike Armstrong is ekphrastic art at its finest, a seamless coming together of vibrant brushstrokes and memorable lines in poem after poem. From “They circle” we have “Ah, they are money vampires. / They tell me they can hook me up, / no, cook me up in style.” The wit, music, and metaphors that comprise Nolcha Fox’s style are alive and well in End of Earth; it contains some of her best recent work. She is our contemporary Emily Dickinson, but also an original, fulfilling the potential of her poetic self in this new book.
Peter Mladinic, author of House Sitting, and The Homesick Mortician
***
Without a doubt, Nolcha Fox is the most interesting, inventive writer of poetry on the scene today.
— John Yamrus, author of Present Tense
Why “End of Earth”??
The title is based on one of Mike Armstrong’s paintings. In this collection, Nolcha Fox wrote a poem based on her interpretation of Armstrong’s paintings. Here is the painting the tile is based on and the poem in response:
I love children, really, but
they’re so unsanitary.
Their clothes are stained
with food and blood.
Snot runs unchecked
down grubby cheeks,
especially when in the pool.
I’ll skip the pool and shower.
Thank you.
Nolcha Fox’s poems have been curated in print and online journals. Her poetry books are available on Amazon and Dancing Girl Press. Nominee for 2023 and 2025 Best of The Net, 2024 Best of the Net Anthology. Nominee for a 2023 Pushcart Prize. Visual Editor for Chewers by Masticadores.Websites: https://bit.ly/3bT9tYu and https://nolchafox2.wixsite.com/nolcha-s-written-wor/blog
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolchafox/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nolcha.fox/
Mike was drawn to art in 3rd grade. He noticed a crayon landscape book report cover displayed in Mrs. Montgomery’s English class. Only later did he realize that the artist was his 8th-grade sister, Carol. He also made his first attempt at throwing a pot on the potter’s wheel. Actually, it was a small hole in a big piece of clay.
In high school, to stay out of trouble, he spent much of his time in the art room as an art major and art minor.
His time at the University of Alabama as an accounting major was short-lived. He changed to a major in painting and a minor in ceramics.
He was an art teacher for 34 years. He continues to practice his love of painting and ceramics.
Get your copy of End of Earth: A Collaboration of Poetry and Painting at the following:
Go directly to ProlificPulse.com/nolchafox
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