Overview

In warm, vividly rendered poetry and prose, educator and poet Aressa Verdell Williams takes us back to the 1950s and 60s in the Washington, DC, neighborhood of Deanwood. The tight-knit Black community of professionals and shopkeepers is the backdrop of Williams' childhood as she learns the values of education, integrity, and family. Through her recollections of siblings and schoolmates, everyday meals and unforgettable events, Deanwood becomes the epitome of ""home."" ""This memoir offers readers an immersive experience that echoes the feelings, sights, sounds, and essence of growing up from Black girlhood into adulthood in the Nation's Capital during times of personal and political upheaval. The mix of prose and poetry ... convey a timeline of pivotal events and emotional complexity along with tenderness and humor, and a family's journey as told from their youngest member's point of view. Themes on family and community dynamics weave throughout this compelling intimate saga.""-Cardyn Brooks

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Reviews

""The memories that Aressa Williams shares through stories and poetry are clear and hard as diamonds, and warm and bright as gold. And most of all, they grin with a deep love of family and of life. Enjoy this special journey as remembered by this very special author.""-Hiram Larew, poet and author of This Much Very; Patchy Ways; Mud Ajar; Undone; founder of Poetry X Hunger ""Ms. Williams recalls her earliest treasured childhood and teen memories of growing up in far Northeast Washington, DC, with many closeknit family members, classmates, and neighborhood friends. Written in both poetic verse and prose, Aressa tells her story with heartfelt clarity and vivid imagery.""-Patrice Smith, author of Iris' Eyes: Poetry for the Heart, Soul and Mind

Author Information

Aressa Verdell Williams, a retired DC Public Schools teacher and Assistant Professor of English, is a poet, teacher consultant, and creative writing presenter. The poetess has been an active member of Pen in Hand for more than ten years. In addition, she is a member of Poetry X Hunger, an association of creatives who promote food insecurity awareness. During the pandemic, her poem ""The Bookbag Store"" won Honorable Mention for National Food Day. Williams is a Prince George's County Literary Leader, premier member of Poetry Nation, and Poet Laureate for The Write Women Book Fest.

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