In recent weeks, there have been a lot of back and forth within me about whether I should push the release of “A Symphony of Silence” to a later date in 2021, closer to springtime. After some consideration (which included scolding myself for investing too much thought and energy into a subject that isn’t a huge deal), I decided to stick with the originally scheduled January 4.
As I reviewed my poems, each and every one of them invoked in me a sense of where I was in life figuratively when I wrote them, the inspirations, and who workshopped those poems with me. I penned many of those pieces in New Jersey, where I’m originally from. Yes, the geography made a difference to me because moving out of that state was one of the best decisions I ever made.
While reading the poems, a sense of pride swelled within me because I can say without a doubt that these pieces accurately reflect who I am, my experiences, my emotions, and my journey.
From the girl who wrote a poem titled “Colors” for her fourth grade show-and-tell, to a single mother with her share of tumultuous emotional problems, and now an author who will publish her debut novel next year, the poems in “A Symphony of Silence” highlight my struggles and triumphs, and I’m not where I am without them.
I recently completed reviewing the edits of the manuscript. As I write this blog post, I am currently organizing the poems in the e-book manuscript so that it will tell one whole article the story. I find I do have a few favorites from this collection: “To a Lover That, Well, Missed,” “Blank Page,” and “Heathcliff and Cathy in Therapy.”
At first I struggled with arranging the poems. I knew how it was to be done, but I didn’t know if I could pull it off. I’m a perfectionist; generally, this mentality entails an ‘If I can’t do it perfectly, there’s no point doing it at all’ approach. Step by step, as I continued to switch the poems around, I figured, “Of course! This collection is a story about my life and experiences! Why not just organize the poems according to that arc?!” Since then, the process has gotten easier.
I’m also working on concepts for ebook covers and lining up some beta readers. Sure the next two weeks will be a challenge, obviously in light of the fact that the ends of the holiday season and 2020 in general are approaching. But in the end, it’ll be all worth it.
“A Symphony of Silence” is available for pre-order now.
Teresa Edmond-Sargeant is an award-winning journalist and author. She released her first collection of short stories “Inner Demons” in October 2020. She is the author of the short story ebooks “Eve the First,”“For My Sister,” and “Sammy’s Butterflies.” She will release her poetry ebook “A Symphony of Silence” in early 2021 and her debut novel “Warding Off Reality” in August 2021.