This blog features excerpts of my writing -- some are just snippets that may grow into short stories or novels. Others are thoughts about The Journey posted in the hope that others may find some connection.
I was born in rural Birmingham,
Alabama to a steelworker father and educator mother. The only African American
in my class, I graduated USC with a BFA in Film Writing Cinema/TV. I am a member of the Gifts of a Wordsmith group and perform at the Carver
Theater’s “On Stage” showcase. I have one published book of prose and poetry, Inspirational Verse for Those Who Hunger and Thirst: A Book of Poems to Feed the Soul (available on Amazon), and I'm finishing my second poetry book, Southern Fried Comfort Food: Recipes to
Encourage the Soul, and my first novel, A Little Taste of Death, a sci-fi murder mystery. I divide my time between Birmingham, Alabama and Newport News, Virginia. I'm the mother of one son, Roderic, who is my inspiration.
Artemis Craig Publishing
Press Kit
Twitter: @artsyhuntress58
Praise for Inspirational Verse
for Those Who Hunger and Thirst
Artemis Craig has risen out of the ashes of
Hollywood as an evangelical poet who has walked through fire, and lived to tell
her story. .̶ .̶ Midwest Book Review
Her poems are like devotions.
Artemis Craig takes us on a journey through her darkest moments, becoming very
transparent about her suicide attempts, depression and hopelessness . . . and
Hope..
.̶ .̶ Ellen Sudderth, ESP Literary Podcast
The
poetry of Artemis Craig gives an intimate look at how the faith of her Mothers
pulled her from a dark place. Artemus
lives dependent on the God she learned at her mother and grandmother's knees. The word pictures of her childhood invite
others to find strength there, too. Craig's
journey to a living faith was uneven, according to her unveiled testimony about
her struggles . . . Her honesty makes the reader want to know more; it makes
the reader want to hear of her redemption. I was impressed by the burning of a hot faith
in God, and most impressed by her persistence as she struggled to overcome her
life challenges. Her strong belief in
her Savior is the overwhelming message of hope from her writings. .̶ .̶ Susan Blanchard, PhD, Educator
Artemis Craig is a brave spiritual warrior with
fragile big dreams who expresses her life story in magical verse. .̶ .̶ Grace Allison, Author of Do
You Have a Dream Workbook
EXCERPTS FROM INSPIRATIONAL VERSE
Southern
Fried Soul Food
Finger
licking fried chicken, so good I chewed on a bone,
While
Granny would tell me how
God
would never leave me alone
To
face life on my own
But
would always provide tender loving care.
According
to Granny, God would always be there
Faithful
to show up when I was filled with despair.
My
mouth waters even now when I think of how
I
crunched on the rind.
Back
in the day with Granny making sure
The
corn didn’t scorch or burn,
While
I listened to her stories from the Bible
That
I eventually learned
And
appreciated enough to put them to rhyme,
So
that I could cherish them as something
We
shared as a moment in time.
I
can remember her theory that a person’s soul needed to be fed,
Without
reading the Bible, prayer, and having faith,
A
soul would wind up dead.
Granny
told me that God showed his love to us through deeds
He
wanted us to do the same,
To
do that we needed to exercise our faith
We
need to believe in miracles
That
had been performed in his name.
Granny
warned me to keep God in my business
If
I wanted to succeed,
And
I believed just like her Southern fried
Soul
food satisfied my natural hunger
I
could find in God’s Word everything on which
My
spirit needed to feed.
Life
Not Mine to Save
One, one
thousand, two, one thousand
Chest
compressions like I’d been taught weren’t enough
Formed a
seal over your mouth and into it blew a quick puff.
Stay with
me! Stay with me! But you refused to wake,
Over again,
over again the previous steps I’d vainly take.
Panic crept
stealthily up along my spine
Clinging to
my will like a choking vine.
Fear gripped
me at the thought of your smile
Being gone
forever,
Broken was
the promise that you would leave me never.
The air
sucked out of the room along with your final breath,
My life
filled with gloom as you traded your life for death.
The
relationship between father and daughter had never
Been
stronger,
Sadly we
were not fated to have our bond last longer.
Our journey
together ended and family told me to be brave,
Though it’s
hard to believe, your life was not mine to save.
Anger at God
is all I can feel,
That along
with the hope that somehow
This can’t
possibly be real.
You’ve gone
on to a better place are words I don’t receive
People ought
to leave me alone while I grieve.
If I hear
one more time, “I know what you’re
Going
through”
Don’t judge
me when I respond with, “How could you?”
Suspended in
dark space filled with shame
Holding on
to guilt for not saving your life
I feel I am
to blame.
Away from
me, Daddy, your body lies in the cold grave
It seems
like only yesterday, try as I might,
Your life
was never mine to save.
But mine to
cherish in moments of panic and doubt,
To
keep as memories when I feel trapped and can’t get out.
City of Angels
Came
to the City of Angels to find love,
Ended
up having to rise above
The
fear that I would not succeed,
But
I never forgot Granny’s advice about avarice and greed.
Got
accepted into the University of Southern California
Film
School,
I
studied with top filmmakers which felt pretty cool.
God
was good, I was on my way,
To
have the world hear what I had to say.
City
of Angels, land of opportunity,
Be
a map and show me
The
way paved to fortune and fame,
Make
it soon while I’m at the top of my game.
Doors
opened quickly in the film industry,
I
learned my craft and couldn’t wait to see
The
lengths I would have to go to make a movie.
Granny
was elated at the news that I was doing well,
She
always knew my grades before I had a chance to tell.
City
of Angels, land of opportunity,
Stretched
out before me, my future I clearly see.
Be
a ray of sunshine shining bright,
Lead
me to the place closest to heaven’s light.
Just
as things seem to fall into place,
I
ended up going to a very dark place.
Granny
was taken in the dead of night,
I
didn’t get to say good-bye and that was far from right.
We
had been separated by two thousand miles.
I
would have done anything for one of her smiles
For
a single moment to help wipe away my tears,
And
encourage me like she’d done for so many years.
City
of Angels, land of opportunity,
The
place where I searched for ways to be free,
I’m
blinded by pain, my way I can hardly see,
Be
an ocean and let me drown my sorrow in thee.
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