The GUMBO POT Poems: A Savory Recipe for Life, Community & GUMBO Through Poetry - Softcover

Sundayo, Judy; Smith Cooper, Alyce; Jones, Jaime V.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1500793620 ISBN 13: 9781500793623

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2015

Synopsis

The GUMBO Pot Poems is a book celebrating food, friendships and family! Fantastic recipes for one of America’s most popular culinary dishes, GUMBO, are mixed in with poetry about the lessons we learn from our everyday life experiences. These poetic musings are divided into the different flavors represented in GUMBO, i.e. salty, bitter, spicy, sweet, sour, and savory. The authors associate these flavors with metaphorically similar life experiences. What results is a creative way to represent the flavor salty with poems having to do with sensuality, bitter with poems having to do with tough lessons learned, spicy with poems concerning nature or talents, sweet with poems of love and family, sour with poems of grief or sadness and savory with poems of wisdom, friendship and character. What a tasteful way to make a meal with words having the potential to provoke, excite and heal. Through photographs and poems, the book also recognizes individuals who have made contributions to the San Diego community, particularly the African American community. The poems and resources are ingredients in a recipe for community empowerment. Just as there are many ingredients in GUMBO, there are many individuals, groups and community-based organizations, working together to contribute to a successful community. It is hoped the resources will inform and empower individuals to take pride in their communities and see themselves as participants in the process of civic engagement. Reading a book is only part of the obligation of any reader. Discussing the contents of what one has read with family, friends and colleagues encourages cross-cultural awareness and unity. Having courageous conversations on difficult topics, like race and ethnicity, fosters cultural competency and ultimately cultural proficiency, a worthy life-long endeavor for everyone. Like a pot of GUMBO, this book is a culinary delight, which will hopefully bring everyone to the same table to share, discuss and digest opinions on a range of topics, while enjoying a bowl of GUMBO. Dr. Maya Angelou is considered by the authors to be a standard-bearer for this book. She was masterful in her use of words, in sharing her wisdom, as well as in her culinary skills. Dr. Angelou’s sense of social responsibility, cultural pride and human awareness are beautifully evident in her writings, and will be savored forever. The authors of The GUMBO Pot Poems are particularly honored to dedicate this book in her memory.

About this title

About the Author:

Rev. Alyce Smith Cooper, also known as the Golden Brown Fairy Godmother, is a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother. She is a seasoned ancestral storyteller, writer, poet, actor and T.V. host. In 2005, Alyce was inducted into the San Diego Women's Hall of Fame for her ability to celebrate diversity, transcend cultural differences, build bridges of hope between people, and generate healing through her stories, poems and presence. She currently works as a Registered Nurse and is an Associate Minister at Bethel A.M.E. Church in San Diego, California. 
Jaime Victoria Jones was born in Coronado, California, and was raised in San Diego, one of four daughters. Jaime loves to write, and identifies as a scribe, a scholar and an educator. A fun-loving and life-affirming person, Jaime loves communicating ideas and empowering others. Her passion lies in GPS Productions (The Parenting Service Station) where she is invested in helping parents and troubled teens. She writes much like she cooks. Her main ingredient is always a large dose of love. She is convinced that love appeals to all of our senses.Judy Sundayo, Ph.D. enjoys life and loves to cultivate a feeling of peace within. She is a mother, a grandmother and a sister-friend to many. As a licensed clinical psychologist and a college professor with decades of experience, she believes in self-actualization, the transformative value of humor and the healing power of words. A writer since childhood, Judy writes to inspire readers to find joy in everyday experiences, to question ordinary assumptions about life and to find pathways for healing self and helping others. Judy resides in La Jolla, California.

Review:

***** 5 - STARS!

The GUMBO POT Poems: A Savory Recipe for Life, Community & GUMBO Through Poetry by Judy Sundayo, Alyce Smith Cooper, and Jaime V. Jones is a touching and emotional collection of poems written by an eclectic group of people about topics ranging from family life and overcoming to social injustice and anger at maltreatment. There are poems like 'The African American Woman's Diary' that delve into an overarching story about the lives of women throughout the course of American history, and it is full of poignant and carefully chosen phrases. Intermixed through the poems are the pictures and backgrounds of black people who are friends with the authors, and the trials and tribulations they have personally overcome as well as the triumphs they've achieved. The pictures are excellent and the people inspiring.

I found these to be valuable additions to the story, imbuing it with a rich sense of history and community, and giving a strong and proud face to the poetry. But the poetry itself is the true star of the work, with poems that are powerful and uplifting and full of emotion. The authors don't shy away from any topic as they lay bare the depravity of our culture and the foundation upon which it was built. I loved the imagery and the stories, although it was painful to get through at times with the brutal honesty of it. This book will inspire conversations and thoughtfulness in people, as well as serve as a wake-up call for many. The GUMBO POT Poems: A Savory Recipe for Life, Community & GUMBO Through Poetry by Judy Sundayo, Alyce Smith Cooper, and Jaime V. Jones is brilliantly written and dedicated to Maya Angelou, and it will serve as an inspirational work for many years to come. ~ Ryan Jordan, for Readers' Favorite

About this edition

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1500793620
• ISBN 13: 9781500793623
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 602