Dr. Jim Price was one of the authors participating in the “Cultural Connections: A celebration of Black and Brown Literature” conduced on Nov. 2 in Springfield.
Reminder Publishing photos by G. Michael Dobbs
SPRINGFIELD — For a second year the “Cultural Connections: A Celebration of Black and Brown Literature” took place at the Elias Brookings School giving children and families the opportunity of meeting local authors.
Public relations consultant Ayanna Crawford and Regine Jackson, writer and executive assistant at the Pan African Historical Museum, organized the event. Crawford explained to Reminder Publishing, the afternoon event was designed to bring local authors to the attention of the Springfield community and to encourage literacy.
The free event featured storytelling, a puppet show and crafts besides the opportunity of meeting and talking with authors and to buy their books. The children who attended were invited to select a free book and received a silicon bracelet.
Staff from the Springfield Library were present as well as members of the Straw Dog Writers Guild.
Crawford thanked the participation of the school’s principal, Terry Powe, in hosting the event.
Among the authors were Springfield resident Jacqueline Williams-Hines, who co-founded the No Small Victories Awareness and Education Initiative and has written a number of books featuring her son Joshua as a character. Her books, she explained, are designed to allow children and their parents to learn about autism. They can be purchased online at https://www.nsvonline.com.
The book series of Dr. Jim Price, also a Springfield resident, helps children and parents learn social skill building. As a middle school counselor, he said he “fell into [writing]” and his illustrated books feature a friendly snail named “Harold from the Hood.” The book “Friends like Different Things” is “to build on the social skills building components of interactions among children and to connect to the ideas that people do have their own likes and dislikes in life.”
Other books address different social lessons for children.
Price has received national publicity for his book series, which is available from online book sellers as well as his website, https://jimpricebooks.education.
Jason Lawrence Moore wasn’t selling his “Warrior Carrying Water,” an anthology of poems and short stories. He was giving the thick paperback book away. He said the book is about “being black in America.” His description on his Amazon page (https://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Carrying-Water-Jason-Lawrence/dp/1976768810) goes further by describing the book as “an autobiography of 500 rhyming poems, short stories, as well as 25 videos (via QR Code) about being black in America, love, life, politics, religion, art, media, and everything else! The painting on the cover shows a warrior carrying water (instead of a weapon), it’s a symbol of peace.”
Moore, from Newington, Connecticut, is a car salesman, but said as he was holding his book, “this is my passion.”
Springfield author Stephanie Marrero was offering books for children about understanding ADHD and she was inspired by her own life experiences with create them. She said that “Olie the Calming Elf” offers coping techniques for children, while “Elie The Meditation Elf” discuss anxiety and how to deal with it.
She also wrote a faith-based journaling devotional titled “Healing in Him, described as “This devotional captures different encounters with God throughout [Marrero’s] walk and a desire to share it with the world in hopes others can also experience an encounter with the Father.”
Her books are available on Amazon and on her website, https://www.beneaththehealing.com.
