What I Know...
Poems of Life
by
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WHAT I KNOW
My momma said, “Write what you know”
My teachers said, “Write what you know”
All writers say, “Write what you know”
Well, I know black
So, I write black
I know being born black
I know being raised black
I know being ‘learned’ black
I know being worked black
That’s how I know
My words will flow
With aptitude and attitude
Gratitude of certitude
And fortitude of negritude
So, I write black
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About the Book
“What I Know…Poems of Life” takes the reader on a roller coaster ride of emotions, experiencing laughter, tears, a-ha moments, comprehension and rage. The poems provide a glimmer of being black in America, the comprehensive “charge” of being a woman, and the challenge of facing and surviving the unknown. There are poems addressing the abomination of slavery, the inequity of Jim Crow, the fight for civil rights and integration as well as the gloriousness of election night 2008. There are poems that will bring a smile to readers’ lips as they travel down memory lane and revisit Nadinola, Dixie Peach, doo-wopping and Ed Sullivan, which were staples in many black neighborhoods. Based on written and oral history, current events, hearsay and actual experiences of the author and others known to the author, these poems provide discussion points, especially for younger readers born from mid-1960s and later.
About the Author
Y. B. TAYLOR resides in
In 1966, she was one of six black students who integrated Albert H. Hill Junior High. As a result of legislated busing, her last two years of senior high school were spent in the newly annexed area of the city of
At Huguenot High, she claimed a place in the school’s history as its first black varsity cheerleader, first black homecoming queen and first black to have a regular column, “Yonnie Bee’s Bag”, in the student-run newspaper.
Y.B. Taylor received her B.A. from the University of Virginia, 19-years after Walter N. Ridley became the university’s first African American to earn a degree and 4-years after undergraduate admissions was fully open to women.
A temperamental writer, she enjoys expressing herself in written words. History, personal challenges and experiences as well as stories told to her by older family members and friends are reflected in her writing.