Janis Leslie Evans is a graduate of Howard University where she earned a master's degree in counseling psychology from the School of Education. She received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Buffalo State University in her hometown of Buffalo, New York. As a licensed professional counselor and founder of Evans Counseling & Consultation, PLLC, her career spans over 30 years in mental health. As a debut author, Janis wrote her first book, Recollections About Race: Getting to the Roots and Healing, self-published ...
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Janis Leslie Evans is a graduate of Howard University where she earned a master's degree in counseling psychology from the School of Education. She received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Buffalo State University in her hometown of Buffalo, New York. As a licensed professional counselor and founder of Evans Counseling & Consultation, PLLC, her career spans over 30 years in mental health. As a debut author, Janis wrote her first book, Recollections About Race: Getting to the Roots and Healing, self-published in November 2021. Emotionally gutted by a flood of memories after witnessing the video of the brutal murder of George Floyd, Janis wrote about events she experienced over her lifetime. The events she details are common and relatable to African Americans, particularly Black women, who were triggered by the cumulative effects of witnessing the racial upheaval and protests of the summer of 2020. Recollections About Race served as a springboard for her second book, which illuminates her love of poetry. She illustrates in poetic form the common experiences of a Black community living everyday life in America. Poetically Black: Reflections on African American Joy, Sorrow, and Healing, tells the stories of a people who have struggled to survive and heal amidst the impacts of racial trauma. Janis composed most of these poems between 2006 and 2023.
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Add this copy of Poetically Black: Reflections on African American Joy, to cart. $27.01, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2023 by Jahmerican Press.
ââ?¬Å"Poetically Black: Reflections on African American Joy, Sorrow, And Healingââ?¬Â? is an affecting poetry tome written by Janis Leslie Evans. Following on from her first book, ââ?¬Å"Recollections About Race: Getting to the Roots and Healing,ââ?¬Â? this text examines the themes of social injustice, loss, survival, pain, celebration, and healing. With great sensibility and depth, Evans plunges readers into the world of African Americans, particularly Black women, depicting, as the title suggests, their sorrows, joys, and aching desire to heal from racial discrimination.
The collection opens with a poignant but illuminating offering, Clouded Perceptions of Black Men, that exposes the social misconceptions surrounding Black men exposing the prejudice that they encounter based on their physical appearance and demeanor. The words-
What you think you see may not be my true self,
So let up and relax your critical nature,
Reach out to me non-judgmentally,
Greet me with a nod, not a scowl
-serve as a much-needed awakening from this bias. In another, Loving Me, the persona in an empowering monologue makes the conscious decision to love herself despite the misjudgments and racial struggles she faces around her. In yet another entry, Next Time, I�ll Remember, the persona develops inner strength, striving to soar high like those who preceded her, amidst the pain and strife. Together, these thirty-four poems culminate in a captivating catharsis for readers who have struggled with similar situations.
The anthology is divided into five parts with each segment building upon the other and drawing to a fitting conclusion with vignettes that reflect on the healing of wounds caused by racial trauma and finding peace necessary to move forward.
Some poems are short, such as Untamable while others are long, such as Infinite Textures. Even so, great exposition and sharpness shine in both forms capped with beautiful imagery and enjambment that enhances the reading. Some poems here demand to be read aloud to be appreciated fully, while others appear to be pensive soliloquies that call for quiet, reflective reading.
I liked the poetââ?¬â?¢s use of concrete words and not abstract ones since this did not leave me guessing what message she intended to pass through her poems. Janis Leslie Evans has accomplished something beautiful here. ââ?¬Å"Poetically Black: Reflections on African American Joy, Sorrow, and Healingââ?¬Â? is no doubt a trendsetter with a powerful message of equality and equity.
