Bookable Space with W.C. Aldridge

In this engaging episode, poet W.C. Aldridge joins host Yvonne Battle-Felton. W.C. reads from My Soul's Journey, discusses her poetry journey and offers poets/writers advice on creating a poetry collection.About the book:My Soul’s Journey, collected poems, by Chicago poet W.C. Aldridge, was released in 2021 as part of Amador Publisher’s Worldwind Books Poetry Series. Ms. Aldridge was involved in all aspects of the project. Her choices for cover and interior art, and her thoughtful arrangement of the poems into chapters with evocative titles such as “Forgiveness is Not a Byword,” “My Relationship with God,” and “Everything is About Color,” add layers of meaning to her poetic journey. The collection is sprinkled with photographs by Michele Lee, also of Chicago, and includes an image by beloved African American painter Annie Lee, “5th Grade Substitute,” a detail of which graces the cover. My Soul’s Journey came together in 2020-21 in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement and the worldwide pandemic. The dejected young teacher on the book cover may well represent how we were feeling then, and might still be feeling, but paired with Ms. Aldridge’s poetry, she is a symbol of perseverance and hope fortified by faith—an apt description of the poet herself.Ms. Aldridge describes her work as cathartic. In free verse and narrative prose poems she allows herself release through celebration of her Christian faith. With her soul lighting the way, she embarks on a journey both unique and universal, reflecting on family, culture, hurt and healing. Her willingness to broach truths more often left unsaid, from deep cultural anguish to ecstatic spiritual grace, establish her as a significant voice in the story of Black life in America. In expressing the ubiquitous bond her soul has on her life experiences, the author revels in a journey that ultimately transcends time, and thus painful history, to arrive at a Now each one of us has the power to imbue with promise.About the writer:W. C. Aldridge began her writing career in education. Since branching out within other fields, she has written for magazines, created materials for book publishers, ghostwritten life stories, written a column, and published a poetry book called My Soul’s Journey. My Soul’s Journey received the 2022 Eric Hoffer Finalist Award.For information about Yvonne's books, events, and more vist https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/ or sign up to Yvonne's Substack https://yvonnebattlefelton.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.