A WOMAN OF VIRTUE
Interview with Lawanda Lee
By: YOUNG

" In realizing that people love to be entertained and to entertain others, spoken word is special because it provides a vehicle for verbalizing truth and opinions in a lyrical manner, while intriguing those who are listening. Its popularity is evident from the increase in open mic spots that are popping up all over the place, especially in venues that may not have originally welcomed it."- Lawanda Lee

YOUNG: What provoked your interest in poetry?
LAWANDA LEE: It was definitely God! Honestly, I never really cared for writing poetry outside of being forced to do it for an English project in High school. But life has a way of exposing you to situations that leave you wanting to reflect on paper, instead of simply talking.

If I had to pinpoint a few motivators for my interest in poetry, I would say it came from 2 different encounters. First, my teacher in my African-American Literature class at UNC-CH really taught me how to bring to life words through illustrating my thoughts and feelings on paper (for a grade). If that wasn’t enough, she required us to take various literary passages and embody the characters and emotions in the form of dramatic presentations solely by memory. It was so hard, but I had to do it to pass my grade. When you do a thing long enough, it’s easy to grow to love it.

The second situation that provoked me to start writing poetry more was my experience with unemployment 3 years ago. I decided to become proactive and channel my energy into writing poems that captured my thoughts at that time. Interestingly, inspiring poems came out that reflected everyday life concerning fulfilling one’s purpose & destiny, empowerment, love, relationships, spiritual truths, etc.

Then God blessed an awesome man of God named John Riddick (Sadorian Publications) to take my poems and publish them in my book, Words of Essence for FREE. If that isn’t God, I don’t know what is!

YOUNG: Are some of your secrets exposed through your poetry?
LL: Oh yes!! It’s funny how various people (ministers, secular counselors, teachers, etc.) have read my book and approached me with saying, “wow, I didn’t know you experienced that” or “man, I shared a certain poem of yours with someone who was going through a situation and they related perfectly to what you were saying and changed their perspective on life.”

It is as if God has allowed Words of Essence to become a book that not only deals with what Christ says in His Word about life, but that places a modern-day twist on the subjects pertaining to success, obstacles, relationships, temptations, family and other things.

YOUNG: Now with a published book, has the avenue in which you minister become broader? If so, how?
LL: It has been a tremendous change! I remember being told by a mentor that once you become published, people automatically see you in a different light, as being a more credible person. Before having a book, I would still share poems and speak at various places. But, it seems like now that I am a published author, I have received additional favor and opportunities to perform spoken word and speak in the school systems, in churches, on radio and television, inside of the prison, for pageants, funerals, and even chances to travel out-of-state performing poetry for weddings and other ceremonial events.

I especially get a joy out of seeing people get touched from the words in the poems and become motivated to pick up old dreams, dust them off and begin putting them into action. God is so good and all He desires for us is that we use our gifts to bring glory to His name. That’s what I aspire to do.

YOUNG: Do you think Spoken Word is a lost art form?
LL: I do believe that poetry is a lost art form, but as never before it is quickly picking up momentum. In realizing that people love to be entertained and to entertain others, spoken word is special because it provides a vehicle for verbalizing truth and opinions in a lyrical manner, while intriguing those who are listening. Its popularity is evident from the increase in open mic spots that are popping up all over the place, especially in venues that may not have originally welcomed it.

YOUNG: What’s your favorite past time?
LL: Let’s see…when I have a little free time I enjoy going to the movies, hanging out with my friends and family, and traveling to new sites and seeing new people.

YOUNG: What are some of your other goals that you would like to achieve in the near future?
LL: I have a lot of goals, but 3 of my goals for the near future are:

1.) Completing my Masters Degree in Agency Counseling (NC Central University) so that I can use my counseling skills to enhance communication with diverse individuals and help people in general.

2.) Creating a Words of Essence Scholarship Fund to assist future college students and/or young entrepreneurs who desire to start their own businesses.

3.) Publishing another inspiring book of poetry that will reach 10 times more people than my first book, Words of Essence.

YOUNG: What is one misconception people have about you?
LL: One misconception that people may have is that my age will dictate how I handle or respond in business settings. For instance, I’ve had several business men and women to say how astonished and impressed they were about my maturity level and professionalism when they met me in real life. I guess, over the phone they thought I was a lot older.

YOUNG: Is there anything else that you would like the readers to know?
LL: Well, in addition to having a passion for spoken word and speaking to different people, God has blessed me with an awesome manager, Irving Taborn, who has really educated me regarding business, pushed me to higher heights and helped me to enlarge my gifts so that I can impact more community members.

With his mentorship and God’s help, I’ve been able to put on 6 highly successful events for the community within my 2 years of being in business. For instance, I’ve put on the following:

- 3rd Annual “Aspiring Writers Info Session,” which brings in credible publishers/ authors to educate future writers on ways to become published.

- 2nd Annual “Business Men & Women Expo” that targets and educates entrepreneurs on business techniques and strategies for success.

- 1st Annual “Gospel Showcase & Talent Show” to provide a platform for local artists to receive cash prizes, media exposure and other benefits.

We are certainly excited about putting on our last event for the year which will be our “2nd Annual Gospel Showcase & Talent Show” on October 20th at the Ezra Conference Center (Raleigh, NC) from 7pm -11pm. We have several featured artists and 4 judges (Radio hosts/ TV announcers) that will be viewing our local talent contestants.

All I can say is “To God be the glory!”

Lawanda Lee
President, Author & Motivational Speaker
www.WordsofEssence.com
(919) 624-4138