“The Greek word for ‘poet’ is poietes, meaning ‘to make’. Creating poetry involves describing the human condition or emotions through the combination of ordinary words using a rhyme scheme, meter or rhythm, and word sounds. Ms. Click’s poetry addresses themes of faith, friendship, grief, and love from her unique lived experience” states Dr. Michael J. Simon, President of Angelina College.
A lovely book of poems written from the heart with beautiful, full color illustrations for each and every page – uniquely created by artists from all around the world including Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Philippines, Serbia and the United States. The poems are a direct, honest reflection of the author’s impressions of the world around her.
The author, Amanda “Mandy” Gail Click, is an accomplished, talented and well- rounded young woman, but this was not always so. During her school years, Mandy was particularly shy, reserved, and quiet. Her quietness and shyness often made her feel as if she was hiding inside a shell, looking for a place to fit in. After she graduated from high school in 1996, she started working at a facility that assists those with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities (IDD); providing a safe work, day habilitation and residential environment for those with special needs. To this day, Mandy loves working at this fulfilling and rewarding facility.
At the same time, Mandy took a fresh, clean, crisp, white sheet of paper and proceeded to release her bottled-up emotions onto it through poetry. She discovered that she had been gifted with a stream of consciousness that allowed her to express her feelings though writing poetry. She has found poetry to be cathartic, and in the process, has become much more outgoing, confident and empowered.
Mandy created this book with her friends in mind – if they are not able to read the words, then she knows they will enjoy looking at the pictures. Her poems are inspirational and include the subject matters of camp, church, colors, family, friends, grief, holidays, love, nature, and weather.
Mandy is donating the net proceeds from the sale of this book to benefit the East Texas Fun Bunch Scholarship Fund at Angelina College in Lufkin, Texas. The fund was established to support adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and related conditions which includes providing instruction by teachers from Angelina College in areas such as music, singing, fine arts, reading, American Sign Language, culinary arts, and technology. The fund also benefits adults who live in retirement/nursing home facilities.
Writing, editing and publishing this book has been an invaluable learning journey and marks several firsts:
1. a 1st for Mandy – to select her most favorite and precious poems that she has written over the past 20 or more years;
2. a 1st for Marilyn Ruth Burke – to edit, coordinate and prepare a book to be published; and
3. a 1st for Angelina College – to publish a book.
We can all find inspiration from Mandy. She started her journey in shyness and emerged into a NEW life filled with friends and new experiences– attending “live” fine arts performances, dinners and shows, performing in front of people at a concert with boom whackers, hand bells, and xylophones, and becoming a best-selling author on Amazon.
Thank you for your support and encouragement of Mandy and all the other “Mandys” in the world.
