Mann At Work

Viewing this recent pic of my soon-to-be 6 year old “Lil’ Mann,” ignited the next expression I’m about to drop like DeSean Jackson from a Philadelphia Eagles roster; without any regrets.  Feel me?  

My grandseed holding a writing instrument makes me optimistic about the future of the Mann gene pool. 

This recent still photo was your MannofStat 40 years ago.  Like “Deuce” (my grandson), I had no idea what I was capable of accomplishing with a pencil between my thumb and forefinger.

You see, I love to write.  I wrote my first short story at the age of 9.  Today, I see everything as a potential story to be told.  So, I don’t write for the sake of acceptance.  My personal experiences are teaching tools for generations to come. 

Whether it be the inconsistency of the hot water in the janitor’s closet; the stained plexiglass in the visitation booths; or the exhausted appeals of another death row prisoner.  Writing gives me life; it breathes my next breath when my circumstance smothers the continuity of my life support.  Writing is the core of everything I am, and I’m sure this same fire is flowing through the unsuspecting veins of my Lil’ Mann as I write this.

My grandseed will one day experience the euphoria that comes through dreams about words, titles and concepts that will continuously stimulate his developing brain waves.  His future expressions may set him on a course to meet other writers that have impacted multitudes of viewers. 

For example, at yesterday’s Hidden Voices session (4/24/14), I was graced by the presence of Ms. Nancy Demorest, a.k.a. Nancy Curlee.  If the name doesn’t ring a bell, maybe her work will, the Emmy Award winning daytime television drama, The Guiding Light.

Her writing has endeared legendary characters such as Joshua, Reeva, and Billy – to the hearts of soap opera enthusiast around the globe.  She and I went back and forth, exchanging verbal jabs concerning her characters, then eventually our soap talk led to a discussion about a drama series I’ve been working on called, “Concrete Times.” 

We discussed the creation of soap opera characters like the one I suggested for the wildly popular, Grey’s Anatomy, discussed a few years back in my “Grey’s Alter Anatomy” (http://word2themasses.blogspot.ae/2010/09/greys-alter-anatomy.html ).  She found my lead character, Dr. McMocha, to be an interesting addition to the already stellar cast.  I hope you are reading this Ms. Demorest!  It was truly a pleasure to meet a writer whose work I have enjoyed for many years.  Word is bond!

As you can probably see, I really enjoy these Hidden Voices sessions and the various forms of writing discussed.  Team coordinator, Ms. Linden Harris has created an environment of acceptance for a group of writers that have grown accustom to maintaining a high degree of creativity within the most hostile of circumstances.  

The edginess within the expressions that come out of team “FFLOW” are bred from writers standing on a ledge.  Under the direction of Hidden Voices, team FFLOW negotiates the ledge – making a pavement for other literary expressionist to walk freely.  Na mean?

If there is one piece of advice I could offer a soon-to-be 6 year old literary expressionist, it would be this: Be in awe of the words that pass through you because sometimes the words do not come from you.  You can only be remembered as a ‘great writer’ if people are greatly moved by the words you share.

Still Livin,’

MannofStat
Copyright © 2014 by Leroy Elwood Mann