INTERVIEW: CONVERSATIONS TAKE TEN
In 2009 many new literary voices will be joining the growing coalition of published authors. One such individual is Patricia Neely-Dorsey. Her book Refections of a Mississippi Magnolia was released in 2008 to glowing reviews, and she will be spending her time getting it out to the world in the coming months while writing on her next project. Patricia took out time recently to talk with Conversations about her beginnings as a writer, the book and what keeps her going.
Happy New Year to you, Patricia, and thank you for taking out time to participate in Conversations' "Take Ten". Before we talk about your book Reflections of A Mississippi Magnolia I want you to talk about you. How would you describe yourself and your evolution over the years? Happy New Year to you, Cyrus, and Thank You for this wonderful opportunity to share with you about my book. In answer to your question, I would say that I have always thought of myself as very interesting and unique. On all of the questionnaires that I ever filled out since I was in grade school, I always described myself as that. Everyone also tells me that I am very funny.. so I guess I am that , too. People are always commenting on how funny some of my poems are. Evolution? Although ,I felt that I really knew myself inside and out and that everything was pretty much set with me, I think a real evolution began in me and with me when I turned 40. All of a sudden, it seemed that I just had all of these new revelations about myself and the world around me. It was like a new lease on life. The forties have truly been fabulous. and very eye-opening thus far. I feel that I know myself so much better and that I am so much more comfortable in the skin I’m in.
Growing up, I believe everyone has a dream about what they see themselves doing. For you how would were you answering the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" As far as what I dreamed of and wanted to be when I grew up , I never really had a realistic, concrete idea of that. In grade school, my idol was Beverly Johnson, one of the first black “supermodels”, so naturally I wanted to be a supermodel …but being 5’6 (not quite tall enough) and living in Tupelo, MS. I started to realize that probably wouldn’t happen ...But, then again, Elvis Presley came from Tupelo…so anything is possible (LOL). Obama validated that for all of us.
Are you surprised at the path your life has taken over the past five years? I am very surprised at the path my life has taken, especially in the last two years. I wrote my very first poem at the age of 43 (February 2007) and had my first published work (Reflections)the following year (February 2008). Since then, it has been a whirlwind of new opportunities, experiences and adventures. I didn't even know how to log on to the computer and
e-mail until January 2008. I think that there is something to be said about late bloomers. (LOL)
Your poetry book seems to walk us through your life and those who have played a significant part in it. Why did you decide to share your talent with the world now and what led up to the publishing of the book? Well actually the “talent” is all so new to me and I never wrote them with any intentions of publishing a book. Although I have always loved poetry, I never wrote a poem before 2007..except maybe a haiku that I attempted to write as an assignment in the sixth grade (LOL) I woke up on Valentine’s Day 2007 with this poem swirling around in my head. I got up and quickly scribbled it down. After that first poem, others started to flow in rapid succession.. In a couple of months, I had over 200 poems. A friend of mine encouraged me to publish them and I did. Because of how they were given/“gifted” to me in the manner that they were, I began to think that it was just meant for me to get them out there.
Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia is really a poetic autobiography.. Were you in any way hesitant to share so much of yourself this way? It’s still very surprising to me when people say that I am sharing so much of myself because the things in the book are stories that I have told and things that I have shared with friends and the people around me over and over for years, just not in written or poetic form. So, I was not hesitant at all to share them with others in my book. It was very natural… just telling my same old stories to a newer, bigger audience (smile)
In your poem Bookworm (p.72) you give us an idea of how the love of words has been passed on through the generations in your family. As you know Mississippi has ranked the highest in the nation when it comes to illiteracy over the past few years. As a wife and mother who understands the pressures that many are dealing with from day to day, how do you think we can begin the journey back to finding time for reading? I think that it is very important for parents to instill in their child/children a love for reading, for books and for the written word from a very early age. It has always been a tradition throughout my family that children in the family were given a book on any gift giving occasion. Along with any other gift that we might receive from our parents, aunts, uncles we also got a book. I have always made sure that there were lots of age-appropriate books around for my son from the time he was born. The day that he came up to me and said “I just love to read” was one of the best days of my life. I hugged him, and told him, with tears in my eyes, that he had just made his mother very happy. I feel that we must make reading a part of who we are (readers) not just what we do. To me reading is like breathing. You don’t have to ask a person to find time to breathe.. It’s what they do to live.
I found your book to be an easy read that can be gone through in an afternoon, but there are definitely some things in there that you want to not only reread but share with others. That was my personal experience. What was your hope readers would get from your book? I love when people say my book is an easy read. That is the greatest compliment to me. To be an easy read it has to flow and be enjoyable. When readers read my book ,I want the words to transcend my life and my story and remind /connect them with their own wonderful childhood memories and common life experiences. It is so fulfilling for me to get letters and e-mails that tell me that what the readers have gotten out of the book is not so much about me but about them. One woman who was born and raised in Paris France and of European descent, e-mailed me and said that my Country Life poems really struck a chord with her and reminded her of some of the best memories of her life when she would visit her aunt’s farm in the country. That’s incredible!! As a writer,it is so gratifying to hear of those kinds of connections!
As a first-time author were you prepared for all the work that goes into not only publishing a book but marketing it as well? I was TOTALLY unprepared. I have been told over and over and have found it to be true.. The REAL work of publishing a book is not in the writing or publishing but in the marketing and promoting. It can all be very overwhelming! It is vital to have good people around you who know the business for direction, advice, resources and pointing you in the write direction . Networking is KEY!!
Using your own experience as a guide, what advice would you give others who are thinking of birthing their own literary work? I always emphasize what I call Patricia’s P-Attitudes..1) Positivity- be positive, believe in yourself and your book, 2)Persistence-Be relentless. Never take “NO” as a final answer. Keep knocking. If you can’t get in through the door, go in through the window. 3)Perseverance-Never give up 4) Patience. .Hold on. Hold tight. Sometimes, the answer or outcome that you seek might take a minute ( days, weeks or months) but keep the faith. It will come.
Thank you again for giving us a few minutes to discuss your beginnings as a writer. If our readers want to find out more about you, how can they find you online? Thank you so much for providing this opportunity to connect with readers. My website is
www.patricianeelydorsey.webs.com or they can Goggle my name
Patricia Neely-Dorsey and find more about the book and some of the social networking sites I am involved in.
GET THE BOOK!
You will enjoy every minute you read this breakout work.
You will recommend the book to friends.
You will read it over and over.
Years from now you will boast about purchasing and reading Patricia Neely-Dorsey’s first book.
Make sure you tell YOUR friends about this excellent book!
Ronald Weathersby
Los Angeles, CA
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Patricia Neely-Dorsey. I am from Tupelo, Mississippi. I am a 1982 graduate of Tupelo High School. I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts. I lived in Memphis , Tennessee for almost 20 yrs, working in the mental health field, before returning to my hometown in August 2007. I have been married for almost 16 yrs to James Dorsey and we have one child, Henry, age 10.
When did you begin to realize you liked to write?
The poetry writing was really a surprise to me. I always liked to write all kinds of things but never for any particular purpose and certainly never with a book in mind.
I woke up on Valentine’s Day 2007 with this poem swirling around in my head. I got up and quickly scribbled it down. After that day, many more poems followed. In February 2008, my book, Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia, was published.
How long did it take you to write your poetry?
I always tell people that it probably takes only about 5 or 10 minutes for me to write a poem, maybe 15 minutes for the longer ones because the poems come fully in my head and I just write them down.
How did you come up with the title of your book, Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia?
That was a natural choice for me. The book is basically reflections on my childhood and my life in general. I am from Mississippi and the state flower is the Magnolia.
Women in Mississippi are often referred to as Mississippi Magnolias. So, Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia just felt/sounded right to me. I had named the collection of poems that long before there was any thought of a book.
Tell us about your book.
Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia is a true celebration of the south and things southern. There are so many negative connotations associated with Mississippi and the south in general. In my book,using my childhood memories, personal thoughts and dreams, I attempt to give a positive glimpse into the southern way of life. The book is very upbeat, playful, humorous,at times,uplifting and syrupy sweet. (smile)
What do you hope readers will learn/discover from reading Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia?
There is MUCH more to Mississippi and the south than all of the negatives that are most typically portrayed.
Where can readers order your book online?
www.reeds.ms/books.asp or http://www.amazon.com/
INTERVIEW: http://www.southernlady-nancy.blogspot.com/ 
SOUTHERN LADY-NANCY blogspot- interview
HI Patricia,
I have to tell you I am so excited about doing this review! I absolutely love Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia!!!!! I am so thrilled to have the honor of reviewing your "Baby", and what an even bigger honor to be able to do an interview with you. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us. And, an even bigger Thank You for writing a book about the South and putting it into Poetic words that bring such Southern Comfort, Charm, Joy, Tears and Laughter...oh and a Southern appetite too...lol ;) Let's get started~
1.Tell us a little about YOU.
The paramount characteristic about myself is that I am a southern girl through and through. I think that this affects almost every other area in my life. It affects how I think, how I move , how I breathe and how I have my total being in this world. I have several poems in the book that allude to this fact.
Beyond that, I am from Tupelo Mississippi. I currently live in Tupelo, after living almost 20 yrs in Memphis TN, working in the mental health field. I am married to a wonderful southern man named James .
We have one son, Henry, age 10.
I consider myself a very late bloomer as far as poetry writing is concerned.
I wrote my very first poem Febraury 14th 2007 at the age of 43.
My book was published one year later in February 2008.
2. What are some the the people, places or things that inspires you to write a poem?
Oh my goodness, My love for the south and my life in the south is and was the total inspiration for this book and my poems. That ,of course, entails so many elements such as food, family, friendships ect.
The beauty all around in the south is almost indescribable , the people/relationships are beyond compare and the food is ..well..you know (LOL)...
We are all about the food and we use any excuse to eat.
As you found and readers will find, I have a lot of poems that talk about food.(LOL)..not just any food, though..Southern food!
The cooks in the south and dishes that they make are untouchable as far as I am concerned. There is nothing like it ....anywhere!
Of course, there are a WHOLE LOT of wannabes! (LOL)
I call it undercover Southern (LOL)
Southern "stuff" is just at the top of my list of everything!
Someone once said, there are so many good writers in and from the south because we don't have to make anything up...so true so true!
My book is a celebration of the south and things southern.
3. How did you come up with the title Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia?
That was a very simple decision.
I really already had that name for my collection of poems, even before I had any idea that that I would have a published book.
I am from Mississippi. Mississippi women are often called Mississippi Magnolias. I am a Mississippi Magnolia. The book is compiled of mostly my reflections and remembrances of childhood. Thus, Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia was the natural choice.
4. What do you want the readers to learn from this book?
I hope that readers will recognize and appreciate all of the wonderful things that the south has to offer.
There are so many negative connotations associated with Mississippi and the south in general. I want to show a flip side of the coin. In the book,I attempt to give a positive glimpse into the southern way of life.
I hope that readers outside of the south, especially, will see that there is much to love about the southern way of life.
We southerners already know. I just want to bring it all back to mind...help us to "reflect " on it , if you will. (smile)
5. What have you learned from this whole experience?
I have learned how much all southerners are really alike deep down. We all kind of remember and appreciate the same things.
We all have had, basically, many of the same experiences.
There is a strong common thread that runs among us.
As far as the book business is concerned, or the "business of books", as I call it, I have learned that the easy part is the writing. The real work is in the marketing and promoting. I am really working hard to get the word out about my "little book of southern poems." I appreciate so much that you helping me to do that here on your blog.
6. Is there any more books or poetry books that you are writing or will be writing?
Yes, I have two more books that are bascially finished and ready to publish when the time is right. One is more mostly southern
remembrances and the other is mostly very intimate love poems,
The Secret Garden of Love..in poems.
My publisher is also encouraging me to do an illustrated children's book using age appropriate poems from Reflections.
Everyone seems to think that this is a great idea.
7. Have you ever thought about writing a poetry books about other Southern states?
Well, the book is called Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia because thats me..that's where I am from but it really is about all of the south.
8. Is there anything I haven't ask or mentioned that you want to share with us?
I just want to say that this book has something for all ages and all parts of the country. It is not a book just for southerners.
I am always posing the question to people if they think that "a little book of southern poems" can have widespread mass appeal.
I think that it can and I hope that this will be the case with Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia. I got an e-mail right before Christmas from a woman who is from Paris, France who bought the book and loved it. She said that the country living poems, especially, brought back some of the best memories of her life when she would go visit her aunt's farm in the country as a child.
That blew me away!
I hope that your readers will help to give "my baby" it's spot in the literary world and give it a chance to shine, while helping all of us southerners and the place that we hold so dear a chance to shine along with it.
INTERVIEWED BY:
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I loved the way the author Patricia Neely-Dorsey, brought her life into this book with all the different poems..I picked it up one afternoon, and found that I wasn't able to put it down..It flowed so well as to keep you interested, where you wanted to continue on..Kudos to Ms. Patricia,and wish her all the best..A must read for all ages..