Lillian Brummet is here with us today to share how writing poetry helped her overcome a traumatic past, discover her true passions, and find a purpose in life. Lillian's mother, Joanne, had four husbands, two of these were quite abusive, one became injured and addicted to drugs... and the stress was just too much for her. Diagnosed with a chronic illness at 42, with both of her sons already on their own before they were 16 and a mortgage to pay, Joanne just couldn't handle the teenage angst that her abused daughter was going through. And so at the age of 13, Lillian found a bag of her belongings on the front step and a note saying she was on her own. Since then she has found true love in a 20 year relationship with her co-writing husband Dave, and has pursued her passion for leaving a lasting legacy through her blog, radio show and the books or CD's that they produce. Find the Brummets at: http://www.brummet.ca/
Poetry as Inspiration
Poetry was the beginning of my writing career, but it also provided a way for me to release the coveted emotions that I could not, would not release. You see, I could not share myself really with others; I didn’t know myself, so how could others ever really know me? Being alone much of my childhood and youth, I learned from observing and poetry became a way of recording an analyzing my interpretations of what I saw. Writing poetry allowed me to understand the past, stages of angst or strife, and how I fit into this world.
I grew up in an abusive, broken home with no fixed address and because of this I had a lot of rage, self-hate and confusion going on in my mind. The only thing that kept me sane and functioning in society was the power of poetry. I would write and write, and then burn it so that no one would ever know. Over time though I began to keep some of the bits of torn paper, scraps of napkins… these were kept in boxes or in binders. The first time a visitor found and read one of these, well - that really upset me, but their response actually became a validation of the writing. Eventually I was able to show them to others who would then encourage me to enter contests and query publications. After winning a few awards, I was prompted by readers to tell my story with a book.
When I began the developing the manuscript for Towards Understanding (1st edition, paperback Nov. 2005), I was intimidated by the sheer mass of work that needed to be gone through. In fact, there were over 300 poems written on loose-leaf pages – some were definitely not fit for others to see and were easily eliminated, others needed some tweaking. *Note: A revised, 2nd edition is now available.
Trepidation set in once the release date was announced, though. The scariest notion is that we cannot predict how any one reader will interpret our work the way it was meant. Poetry is an internal craft, a private craft of therapy and recordings of observations on life. Yet, this genre also requires a slightly different marketing approach – like reading the poems on live radio, in front of groups of people, and talk about the past. This required some practice, and repetition certainly built confidence over time – but what inspires me to continue promoting this book is hearing how much my story helps others.
The process of writing poetry, for me, is a matter of inspiration. I may not write for months and months – when all of a sudden a poem rises out off my chest and I can hardly get the pen to move fast enough to record the phrases in time. It is an amazing process – they just seem to come out all at once. The thoughts are so sudden and violent that I am often left with just snippets of what I heard in my head, but I keep them anyway.
I have returned to poetry time and time again – pouring out the grief from losing beloved pets, expressing thoughts on society, changing relationships, and dealing with my parents’ suicide. I’ve learned to use poetry to express humor, love and joy as well. This art-form of expression has been one of the greatest joys in my life - to play with words, painting with them, using new and old styles, techniques and rhythmic patterns.
Authors - Dave & Lillian Brummet
All the tools and marketing you need to promote your own book are included here - packed with value.
Coming Spring 2011
Conscious Discussions Talk Radio: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscussionsBrummet's
Conscious Discussions is an hour-long talk show that discusses a wide variety of topics from writing and writing skills, waste management (composting, recycling, reusing, etc...), resource management (water, fuels, etc...), and sustainable business practices. There are guests from all over the globe, and listeners celebrate those who are trying to make the world a better place in which to live. For those interested in gardening and growing organic fruits and vegetables, listen in on the weekly discussions regarding gardening techniques.
Conscious Blog: http://www.consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com/
Websites:
http://www.brummet.ca/
http://www.twitter.com/brummet
http://www.linkedin.com/in/ldbrummet
http://www.facebook.com/lillian.brummet
http://booktour.com/author/lillian_dave_brummet
http://blog.myspace.com/canadianauthor
Bio: Dave and Lillian Brummet have been writing professionally as a team since 1999, starting out as free lance writers – which they continue to do today. To date, they have written 3 published books, as well as drum lesson and music CD’s. The Brummets are also the hosts of the Conscious Discussions talk radio show. They supplement these activities with a daily blog and a bi-weekly newsletter in an effort to provide ample information to their audience. The main focus of their work is to inspire hope in individuals, helping them realize the value of their efforts and encouraging them to become more positive, proactive in life.
A new Author for me, Thanks
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