The Writing Lives Story Project

My name is Marianne Thomas-Jackson

  I am a "seasoned"  black woman preparing to graduate from the NEOMFA program.  I call myself "seasoned" because it is a more appropriate term for me than a non-traditional student.  I have five children and nine grandchildren so feel that I have been "tried in the fire" as my grandmother used to say.

 As my graduation looms, I feel both wonder and amazement that I am about to achieve my lifelong dream of becoming a degreed writer.  Additionally, sadness lurks behind the scene as I prepare to leave cherished friends, like the Wicketeers in the Wick Poetry Center.  God bless the Wick family for their generous contribution to the world of poetry here at Kent State.  If not for the assistantship I might never have ventured farther into the world of creative writing.  The workshops offered: Poetry, Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction have been invaluable to me as a writer seeking her niche. 

More to come.

back