By Ron Wynn
NASHVILLE, TN — Though she no longer resides in Music City, Dr. Regina Vincent-Williams has a lengthy Nashville background. She’s been a prolific author and poet over the years, as well as formerly being part of the Tennessee State University family and also one of the original contributors to the WFSK-FM radio show “Freestyle.” She now lives in Fremont, OH, and combines being a motivational speaker with serving as an educational consultant and involvement in multiple local social and political activities.
But her newest venture is an updated version of her very first book titled Surviving Life Between A Rock and a Very Hard Place. It was published in 1988. The newest version is By God’s Grace…Still Surviving.In past years, I had updated Surviving Life Between a Rock and a Very Hard Place (in ten year intervals) just to keep a limited amount of copies on hand,” Dr. Vincent-Williams said during a recent interview. “That first book published in 1988 was 27 pages in length. Over the years of course I had continued to write to the point I had so many poems I thought in my lifetime they would not all get published. They still won’t.”
“But in 2018, I made an attempt to publish an anthology of everything I had written. That was too much. So the short answer is, I wanted to publish for the sake of publishing. When I thought about the title, I felt I had to address growth, no growth, or what growth. My faith had surely grown. So the title became, By God’s Grace…Still Surviving.”
She says general reaction to the new book has been highly positive. “A few people said they had intended to read the book slowly over time but when they started reading it was hard to put the book down,” Dr. Vincent-Williams continues. “That definitely makes me feel it was worth the sweat, the hours, the frustration of missed deadlines and finally getting the book where I wanted it. The other reason I enjoy publishing anything I write is the feedback from readers who say the books help them get through tough relationship issues they experience. I have always heard that. I guess I could subtitle it: “Chicken Soup for the Broken Hearted.”
Her poetic impulses remain strong. “Poetry comes naturally. I am happy to see a bit of a resurgence of poetry. I have been writing and playing with publishing for more than 30 days. Initially I was always told there was no market for poetry. I think young Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman is going to inspire others and make indirectly make an impact on how publishers see poetry.”
Vincent-Williams also addresses in her book specific issues regarding the end of the Trump administration and her hopes for the future. “Well I did include more than love and broken hearted poetry in this book. There is a section titled Social Consciousness. There is also a poem written for Vice President Kamala Harris as well as one about Mr. Trump. One line in the 2018 Trump poem is “it is scary what else he has in store.” That poem, “If You Didn’t Vote in 2016 You Voted for Donald.” It is a Brand New Day for the Biden/Harris Team, for America, and for the world. The inauguration was a breath of fresh air. I believe that administration will help a lot of past wrongs. It won’t stop racism. It won’t rid America of White Supremacists and other hate groups. But most of us will learn to love again. And the way they are going after COVID-19, we will be able to also hug again.”
As the self-publisher of multiple books, Vincent-Williams has a message both for those who would consider that path, and for aspiring writers in general. “For people who don’t understand the rigors and difficulties of self-publishing, what are some of the biggest challenges? You need the money up front. Like loaning money to a friend if you can’t afford to risk not getting it back, don’t loan it. If you invest in yourself, think positive and work hard, but you are not guaranteed to get the money back. Marketing is the biggest challenge. And proofreading your own work.”
“To aspiring writers, keep writing, reading others’ works, and journaling. As for publishing, do it yourself if that is your desire. The feeling of accomplishment is worth it. My prayer is that there will be very little I can say that I wish I had done. The one thing I thought I wanted to do but took it off the list was parachuting. It still isn’t off the list. I just believe we can do whatever we set our hearts on doing especially if God is in the mix.”
By God’s Grace…Still Surviving is available on Amazon or from her online store at drreginavincentwilliams.com
