STORYTIME TAPESTRY

Nicole Stevenson??™s Weekly Column

Which will now be referred to as Fireside Chat ??“ Featuring Dianna Doles Petry

Ready To Listen

by Nicole M. Stevenson

                        Diana Petry grew up in a small mining town in West  Virginia, She was nominated as Woman Of The  Year 2003 for Women Of Unique Soul. She has several works published in books by the International Library of Poetry. Diana has been referred to as the new "Erma Bombeck" as well as the modern day "Ann Landers"

What kind of stories do you tell?

My stories are the kind that your parents might have told, you know, the kind that left your face a lovely shade of red.

What is the title of your first book and can you give us details?

My first book, "Memories...Stories of real life in the mountains..." has been read by people in over fifteen countries although it was self-published. It gave me the inspiration to keep writing and with each letter of praise, I knew in my heart that I had to continue on with what so many people tell me is a gift.

W hat does poetry mean to you?

To me, poetry is the art of putting your thoughts and your ideas into words that trigger emotions in the people who read it.

What were you referring to in this verse?

She was born into the world so innocent,

She should have been a mother's dream come true.

She only wanted to please and to be loved,

She tried to be good but never knew just what to do.

This verse, to me, relates to the innocence in children and their need to please others. Unfortunately, many children are born to people who do not want to be parents. That doesn't stop the child from still trying to please. This particular poem was written about a child in that situation.  

What led you to write poetry?

The honest answer to this question would be my senior Creative Writing teacher.  She gave us a few assignments such as writing about the clock on the wall. My responses always seemed to come out in verse and the rest of the class either laughed hysterically as I compared the cord coming from the clock to a snake slithering along a trail or they became silent when I wrote about the passing of time and the comparison of our life span. I had an audience, I wanted to keep it. Later, I realized that I could touch lives with my words and I've never stopped writing.

Tell us more about Unique Soul you founded?

Unique Soul is a group meant to encourage women to explore the world around them and let their voices be heard to make it a better place. Whether we are dealing with children, aging parents, love, religion, politics, or even a terminal illness, each person has her own way of dealing with it and just like no two snowflakes are ever exactly alike, no two women are exactly alike. Sharing those experiences helps other people to see that they are not alone in whatever they may be facing in life.

What has been one of your memories of someone being touched by your words?

I have many of those but the one that stands out in my mind was a poem that I did for an infants funeral by special request. The infant had been born prematurely in the back of an ambulance and lived only a few minutes. To know that my words were read as the infants eulogy really gave me a feeling that I cannot explain. There also have been many times when I wrote about something just because the words were there and then got a response such as, "How could you have known that I was going through this? You said exactly what I feel."

What other genres if any do you write in?

In addition to poetry, I often write short stories of self-reflection, short stories of fiction, articles dealing with women's issues and health matters and I have done ghost writing for at least three other people who wanted to leave a written history of their lives and accomplishments.

Do you feel a sense of responsibility to the community?

Yes, I feel a very deep sense of responsibility to the community and the world. I have been involved with the educational system since 1981 and I am still very active in the PTA even though my children are no longer in elementary school. I often use my writing skills to bring out thoughts on current events such as the closing of mines, the consolidation of schools and the plight our children face today because parents fail to see the need for self-restraint or discipline at home.

What is your motto?

This is probably the hardest question for me to answer. I believe that things happen for a reason but that we can change our lives by making a choice to either live it fully or sit back and let it pass by us. I also like to make sure that the people I care about know that and I don't want to be sad over anything I can never change. To put that into words I would have to say, "Live for today, tomorrow may never arrive."

http://diannapetry.tripod.com/

Proud founder of:
Women With A Unique Soul
www.womenwithauniquesoul.com
Webmaster of Short Stories
http://diannapetry.tripod.com
Webmaster of Poetry From Life
http://www.geocities.com/diannawv/
Poems By Dianna
http://members.tripod.com/~poemsbydianna/PoetryofLife.html

      If you would like to be featured in an upcoming interview, please contact me as soon as possible.  The positions are filling up fast.  You don??™t want to be left out in the cold.

Winterose @videotron.ca