Emotional connection
Today, I did something that I thought I would never do. I archived my handwritten manuscript for my book Cancer Don’t Care.
It was a long time in coming. The 4 x 6 index cards had lived in file boxes on top of my desk since the beginning of 2023. That’s one year after the publication date of the book.
Why did it take me so long? Because those index cards served as a reminder for how it all began. My unwavering commitment to the process itself. Feeling the fountain pen nib against the smooth surface of the index cards as I poured out my deepest thoughts and memories. They represented the emotional connection that went into every handwritten word, phrase, and sentence that later became my book.
Every time I sat at my desk, it would give me comfort to see those boxes. Visible, tangible reminders of everything I had been through. Not just my book writing process, but visible reminders that I lived to tell the tale — MY tale.
And that I am now free.
Free to write my next book
I am free to write my next book. It’s actually the book I was writing before breast cancer got in the way. It was the book I was writing before my mom’s death. It was the book that was already 75 percent completed before my life turned upside down both times.
But now I am ready.
I am ready to archive my handwritten manuscript. I am ready to move it into a single storage box and put it on a shelf in my closet. To feel the weight of all those cards as I lift the box. To feel the weight of all those words and sentences. Cancer Don’t Care was indeed a heavy project.
So now that I’ve archived my manuscript, I’m ready to make the space for this new project. I am ready to give it the undivided attention it deserves. To leverage all the things I’ve learned as a published author. And to once again engage in my trusted analog process. To write by hand and feel the words on the paper below.
Words of Rhythm
So, what is this new book?
It’s called, Words of Rhythm, which is a collection of my poetry. But, it goes beyond that. I like to think of it as an annotated poetry memoir, which blends poetry with narrative to give readers deeper insight into the words, the emotion, the inspiration, and the meaning.
For me, poetry is the rhythmic expression of life, love, resilience, and reflection. It’s that strange way that words often rearrange themselves. Where seemingly unrelated phrases coexist in new and meaningful ways. It’s where imagery meets emotion, and emotion drives the rhythm.
Trust me, I will have much more to say about it in the days and weeks to come. For now, suffice it to say that I have my file boxes full of blank cards, ready for my second book!