WHEN SURROUNDED BY TOXICITY, PICK UP A PEN

About the Book

This book is more than a poetry collection—it is a lifeline in print. The poems remind us when life gets “heavy”, we can pick up a pen and find our way back to clarity, courage, and joy.

Dr. Khristopher Hobbs, Project Director, TRIO
Educational Talent Search - Atlanta, GA

This anthology of poems comes from a diverse group of authors. As I read their works, I simultaneously cried, rejoiced, evolved and dreamed of love shared with me. Readers will lose themselves in connection with these talented souls through their works…

Dr. Gwendolyn M. Duhon, Poet/Associate Professor (Retired)
McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA

Dr. McJamerson’s fingers, that pen of hers, her collaboration efforts, and her creative genius have crafted another masterpiece, using poetry to combat the mental monster of toxicity. This book is being released at just the time into this world.

Adaryll Moore, Author/Educational Consultant
Newark, NJ

In this book you will find a soul-stirring compilation of poems that convey the power of therapeutic storytelling. It bears witness to and illuminates the compassion, joy, transformation, and resilience accessible by all people. Enjoy, in joy!

Dr. Barbara Bethea, Director of the Creative Arts Therapy Department - New York

Each author showcased in this anthology has used the power of the pen to upset the planned outcome and to forge a new path, a new way, and a new truth. Each author speaks “power to truth” and exemplifies their inner abilities to see beyond the rhetoric…

Dr. Kathy Newman, Professor of Education
Grambling State University – Grambling, LA

This is a collection of brilliantly written poetry that pierced the depth of my emotions and ignited joy, laughter and sadness. The book is an unfeigned catalyst for navigating the complexities of life with grace and determination…

Dr. Elaine Foster, Coordinator for Louisiana Reading Association/Associate Professor of Education (Retired)

About the Author

Nanthalia W. McJamerson is an Educational Consultant and Professor of Education, retired from Grambling State University. She was also a Visiting Professor at South Carolina State University. She earned a doctorate in Educational Psychology from Washington University at St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. McJamerson has published professional books, including Reconstructing Lives: Taking the Mystery out of Success, with a companion workbook titled Re-Make an Icon So You Can Produce One. Among her publications is a poetry collection titled Contrary to Rumor, I’m Wonderfully Made. In addition, she is the editor of three books and co-producer of 10 anthologies. Along with colleagues, she served as a consultant for the National Education Association’s RRAXIS Training. A special career joy was working with youth in the Louisiana GEAR UP Summer Learning Camps. Additional career activity spanned from keynote speaking to conference presentations throughout the nation. She is credited for community service including the establishment of two scholarships at Grambling State University. Among her numerous honors are the national Dr. Frank T. Hawkins Distinguished Scholar Award, Louisiana Reading Association Poetry Awards and the Key to the City of Natchitoches, Louisiana. Her favorite personal titles are grandmother/GrandNan to Khalilah and Elijah Kearney, Mother-by-Love to Nicole and Jimmy II, legal godmother to Prince Whitmore, Jr., as well as “cognitive” and spiritual mother to many. In partnership, she and her husband, the late Dr. Jimmy McJamerson, founded a company for professional development and for youth motivation (www.buildanachiever.com).