Marilyn Randall writes about social issues facing society in today’s world. She uses powerful emotion to share her thoughts and ideas about alcoholism recovery, sexual abuse issues, interracial relationships and relationships experienced at a senior time of her life. She writes about loss, and times in her life when her family played a huge role in forming the person she later became as an adult. She shares prayers she writes and uses to help her overcome some of the more difficult happenings of her life. This compilation of works is a tribute to overcoming obstacles and learning to never give up while maintaining a steadfast faith and belief in God.
This is the premise of Marilyn Randall's new book of poetry, My Heart and Soul.
A few months ago, I had an author send me her book. She emailed me later asking if I had had the chance to take a peek at it. Truthfully, I hadn't.
It had sat on my TBR pile for a short time and it was because of her email, I decided to open it up to take a peek.
Here's what I found:
"I think that I have journeyed down this path before
that I saw the man ahead of me, beside me and behind me
and I know they didn’t speak and find his heart, but I did
and I loved it as God blessed it and me for the togetherness
and thank God I am colorblind
or I’d have missed him and who he is
and so will they and their loss will be so great
for kindness he is and gentleness he is and love he is
and I am wanting us and him and I will not walk away from him
but I will walk away from them who are blinded"
Years and years ago, I took an English class at the local university. This particular professor who taught this class had a passion for poetry. Me? Never understood the stuff. That is, until he explained it was like an algebra problem. You need to dissect each sentence to find their hidden value, then you put the whole thing together and the final result was a complete understanding of the author's work.
After he explained it like that, I was hooked. I was dying for my next piece of poetry to dissect. I yearned to find the hidden meanings in each sentence and what happened after that, I became a better poet myself and had a complete understanding (most of the time) of most poetry put in front of me.
Because I know in this business, poetry is a hard sale, I feel authors have a disadvantage when writing in this genre. But Ms. Randall has a beautiful way of telling stories through her poetry that I would have to recommend this book to anyone.
Ms. Randall has always had an artistic ability, which she has used both professionally and personally over her lifetime. She was an art major in high school receiving a Penny Arts Scholarship award for her first oil painting and a Hallmark Honorable Mention award for her second oil painting which was exhibited in an art show in Portland, Oregon. She began her professional career as a graphic artist in 1976 when she was hired by Gandee Printing, a printing company in Medford, Oregon. She learned her craft quickly and thoroughly and within two years she became the Graphic Art Director and then the Graphic Production director for Moore Publications in Belleview, Washington after spending a year as a graphic artist for Seattle Menu Specialists in Seattle, Washington. During her time as graphic production Director, she was assigned major accounts and spent time traveling to different parts of the country to co-ordinate large art projects for wholesale clients. Later she moved to North Idaho where she again became the Art Director for a printing company in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Upon moving back to the Seattle area in 1985, she continued to work for printing companies as both art director and graphic production director until in 1990 when she opened her own graphic design business called Personal Touch Designs by Marilyn. Her business consisted of designing silkscreen art for ladies sweatshirts and other garments and free lance business logo design. She designed the “I’m Proud To Be An American” shirt that was purchased by NAS Whidbey, the Navel Air Station on Whidbey Island, during Operation Desert Storm. In 1993 she retired from her business and her professional career and started writing and illustrating for her own pleasure. Her first published book was titled “Feelings” and it was published in the early 1990’s, but it was a limited edition printing and because it was well received, it inspired her to pursue her dream of writing and illustrating her children’s books. Four of the children’s books were written and illustrated in 1995, yet they are being published for the first time today. Her newest books, My Heart and Soul and Elmer The Christmas Elf are a continuation of her earlier endeavors.
Her writings reflect her life story as she uses her craft to express her thoughts and feelings about not only her life events, but also about social issues in today’s world. She is a recovering alcoholic with 19+ years of sobriety, which she attributes completely to the success and many achievements she has accomplished. Her life struggles range from sexual abuse issues beginning in her childhood to the devastating loss of family members and eventually the loss of her spouse who succumbed to cancer after a long, seven year battle with that dreaded disease, which took it’s toll on her life and health as well. Remaining steadfastly faithful and God inspired has been the key to carry her through some very difficult life experiences. She maintains a positive attitude today with an open and loving heart and when life becomes difficult as it sometimes does, she continues to stay upbeat and positive, always expressing her message of hope and steadfastness and never giving up.
Her children’s books especially reflect a strong morale attitude with positive answers to today’s life situations, which are faced daily by today’s youth. Teaching children about faith and learning to cope with troubles in a positive and healthy way are inspirations she hopes to help instill in our families struggling with today’s issues. Her stories are about coping with fear, greed, vanity and patience, always with a positive outcome to the story and in ways that children can understand and put to use with their own situations. The poetry format of all her children’s stories retains the charm and rhythms which children love to both read for themselves or hear read to them. These delightful stories have been well received by those who have read them, while they and others anxiously await the publication of her newest story, written and illustrated this year. All are charming in their own right and will delight any child as well as some adults.
Marilyn’s latest book is My Heart and Soul, a poetry and prose collection. You can visit her website at www.marilynrandall.com.
You can order your copy of Marilyn Randall's new book, My Heart and Soul, at the following locations:
Barnes & Noble
4485 Virginia Beach Boulevard
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
(757) 671-2331
Borders Virginia Beach
1744 Laskin Rd., Virginia Beach, VA, 23454
(757) 425-8031
You can purchase her book online at Amazon by clicking here.
Comments