If there was a year when everything came together, it was 2024. It was a year of honors and headlines — but also the year I wrote my most personal book of all.
Honored for making a difference
The year began with readings and recognition. For Women’s History Month, I was honored by Epic Long Island for my work empowering others, and I wrote and recited a poem called Phenomenal Me for the occasion. I also wrote I Am the Way I Am for Autism Awareness. In February I read for Black History Month, sharing poems like The Survivor, Shades of Gray, and Human.
A first-place award and a national stage
In October, I received an email I’ll never forget: A Lesson a Day: A Child’s Way had won First Place in Children’s Poetry from The BookFest, along with an honorable mention in the fables category.
That same fall I sat down with Mary Ellen Sherlock for a radio interview on “The Night Light” on WGBB 95.9FM, where we talked about poetry and the impact my children’s books were making. I was also selected as a judge for the Walt Whitman Birthplace Museum’s 38th Annual Student Poetry Contest — an experience so meaningful I had to write a newsletter about it.
The Brightest Star That Shines Tonight
In 2024 I also released my most personal book, The Brightest Star That Shines Tonight — a gentle story that helps children cope with losing someone they love, dedicated to the memory of my late mother. I closed out the year with a reading called “Enlightening the Mind” at the Walt Whitman Birthplace Museum, ending with my poem I Remember You.
2024 reminded me that recognition is sweetest when it comes from doing work that matters — and that even our deepest losses can become a source of comfort for someone else.
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