Journeys

About the Book

Journeys is a collection of poems written between 1974 and 2019. The poems are personal in nature and take readers on an interesting journey through time. Journeys represent the past, the present, and the future. This anthology is intended to captivate its readers by taking them on a journey that begins in the ghettos of Bull Bay, Jamaica, and ends up (for now) miles away in the creative capital of the world—Providence, Rhode Island. Journeys will captivate its readers by bringing the richness of one woman’s desire to escape the ravages of poverty. Journeys delve deeply into love, hope, resilience, wanting, and everything in between. It has a rich Caribbean feel that lures readers to the exotic paradise island of Jamaica with white-sand beaches to the harsh realities that are not advertised (race, class, and violence). Journeys’ highlight sheds light on issues of race, gender, and class among other social constructs. The book glimpses into the black woman’s experience and her constant struggle and fight to use her voice and to be heard amidst the noise. Every poem in Journeys is sure to either soothe readers’ soul or prick their social conscience to activism for social justice. Journeys will not disappoint readers. The poems are happy, sad, lonely, and hopeful. They draw from the poet’s lived experiences as a young girl growing up on the island to that of a mother, wife, sister, friend, teacher, and legislator. Journeys will inspire readers everywhere. It will provide support, affirmation, guidance, consolation, and laughter. Journeys is a work of the heart and a timeless treasure that everyone should have in their collection.

About the Author

MARCIA RANGLIN-VASSELL is a Providence Public School Special Education Teacher. She believes that education is a basic human right. Marcia believes and fights every day for justice and equality. She is currently a member of the Rhode Island General Assembly. She is a Progressive Democrat who was first elected in 2016. She lives with her husband Van Vassell, they have four adult children and two beautiful grandsons.