This collection of women's poetry represents slices of the author's life experiences, from the sacred, to the defiant, to the challenges we all live daily. These poems celebrate life in its myriad manifestations: love journeys, delicious coffee, beholding the natural wonders of God's handiwork, and affirming women as worthy with many gifts to share and improve our world. The poems are responses to the author's many experiences including academic conferences, a women's retreat in South Africa, and an unexpected year working in Bermuda. Hopefully, these poems will remind you never to forget our history, to know who you are, and to stand confidently in your own skin while passing on your wisdom to the younger sisters. Finally, these poems seek to place in perspective the longer trek of our collective earth journey so we can embrace the love, joy, laughter, and peace available to us who seek it.

Soul Poems: Life As Fertile Ground

Literature & Fiction

Van Putten, Melodye

Poetry

Elevator Group Llc

<p>Set in a small town in the early 1900's, Heads Deacon Tails Devil is the story of Robert Grant, an elementary school teacher and long-standing deacon and spirit-stirring soloist at Nazarene Baptist Church, who shows his best side to his adoring, unsuspecting public, but is the devil incarnate at home. Rachel Grant, who, as a young woman, married Robert against her mother's advice and was sorry for it from her wedding night on, tries her best to shield herself and her five children from Robert's devil side. But, Rachel's strong and wise mother, Mom Maggie, has to step in. With her prophetic gifts, cunning and mother-wit, Mom Maggie fights Robert every step of the way and tries to give her daughter and grandchildren a happy, normal life. As he becomes increasingly frustrated with his ability to control his family and his life, Robert's devil side grows stronger, and Rachel and the children suffer horribly because of it. Blaming Rachel, the children and Mom Maggie for anything he doesn't like about his life, Robert turns to other women to ease his mental and physical needs. As Robert tries to destroy one life in hopes that another will satisfy him, Mom Maggie and Rachel plan to show Robert that the devil is a liar.</p>

Heads Deacon, Tails Devil

Mccalla, P. J.

Contemporary

In honor of the first anniversary of the election of President Barack Obama, Melodye Van Putten offers this collection of poetry that chronicles her feelings from the campaign through the early days of the Obama administration. Van Putten never believed she would live to witness the election of an African American man to the presidency of the United States. Her poetry chronicles the roller coaster feelings of disbelief and pride, rage and inspiration, and despair and hope, that she felt leading up to the election. When negative campaign tactics agitated her, Van Putten, who has long used poetry as a favored medium for therapeutic and emotional release, began writing these poems to get the feelings out of her aching head, hurting heart, and agitated body. Obamatyme: Election Poetry is offered for you to read, laugh, shake your head, agree or disagree, but most of all, to enjoy.

Obamatyme: Election Poetry

Van Putten, Melodye Micere

Aunt Imani comes to take Robbie and his sister, Brittany, to visit a museum and its Archives Center.  Robbie doesn’t want to go.  He thinks it will be boring.  Then Aunt Imani shows him how he already created his own archives by hiding his treasures in his tree house.  Now both Robbie and Brittany are excited! They even get to bring along some family photos and other treasures.  They learn more about their family history and American history as they travel downtown. At the museum, Robbie and Brittany discover a lot of fun exhibits on their own.  But, they feel really special when they take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Archives Center with Maxi, Aunt Imani’s friend.  Maxi helps them preserve their treasures just like she does it at the museum.  Robbie and Brittany learn that they are make history every day!

Treasures at the Museum

Children's Books

Richardson, Deborra

Geography & Cultures

<p>Many children do not know that African indentured servants, as well as free blacks and slaves, all assisted in the founding of our nation. There were between 5,000 to 20,000 patriots of African and Native American descent who served in the Continental Forces under the command of General George Washington. This stunning new picture book is historical fiction, told by the family historian to his great-grandson about their family's military and patriotic service as African-Americans during the Revolutionary War. The two are direct descendants of two patriots. One was a free black man, Sergeant Isaac Brown, who served in the 7th, 11th and 15th Virginia Regiments of the Continental Line. Readers ages eight and older will be fascinated as they learn about our country's forgotten patriots.</p>

Patriots of African Descent in the Revolutionary War

Lane, Marion T