SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 20, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- An expressive book inspired by the changing roles of women in the 1970s, Ins and Outs: Poems and Stories from the 70's (now available through AuthorHouse) utilizes a variety of writing styles to capture the voice of author Suzanne Brooks.
With poetry and short stories, Ins and Outs tackles many of the issues facing black citizens and is full of hope, despair and humor. In "Light Through the Ivy", Brooks writes about the difficulty many black Americans encounter when they have very pale skin. It also speaks of the struggle many mothers face when they have children with different fathers. In "Family Tree", the second story in the book, Brooks touches on deafness, sibling rivalry and abortion.
Brooks' poetry also captures many emotions. In "Value of Belief" she writes, "Once as a child,/ I wanted to be a nun,/ believed in miracles and more,/ things unsustained in adulthood./ Now, after forty,/ philosophies fail to comfort/ my mounting fears/ Of death approaching./ I grope for comfort in family/ history...so few have died...but/ they will and I will and/ I don't want to..."
Brooks has also released another book, Escape Is Not an Option, a collection of poems, stories and essays from the 1980s and 1990s. Women and female writers are the subject of this book, as Brooks highlights the lessons many women learn in various relationships. In the poem, "Da Man Thing," a woman transitions into marriage, only to discover that her husband is less than honorable. She finally realizes that only she has the power to make herself happy. In "Inheritance," a mother contains fierce feelings of jealousy over her husband's attention to their daughter.
These two books encompass many pressing issues people have faced during the past four decades in emotional and poignant poems and vibrant short stories.
Brooks is a vocalist, writer, hula dancer, activist and educator. She owns Creative Concepts Systems and founded the International Association for Women of Color Day. Brooks has recently recorded two CDs, which are collections of jazz standards. A dancer with Hapa Haole Hula dancers, Brooks has acted in several plays and performed her own work in festivals such as the 2002 Harlem Theatre Fringe Festival.
AuthorHouse is the world leader in publishing and print-on-demandservices. Founded in 1997, AuthorHouse has helped more than 18,500people worldwide become published authors. For more information, visitwww.authorhouse.com.