This Is My Story This Is My Song

"No attempt has been made to present a critical study of Frances Jane Crosby, but simply to retell the life of the Sightless Singer as she, herself, told it to me on various occasions when visiting my home" - p. 11.

"Poetry is a powerful medium. It invites the reader to stay and sit awhile. It is layered, nuanced, and open to interpretation. It is lyrical while allowing the reader to bring their own melody." - Roshan James In her debut compilation of poetry, Roshan James shares her season of personal healing and growth through faith. Blending her own writing with references to passages of scripture and lyrics from songs, as well as photos from her life, Roshan tells the story of her journey from a place of brokenness toward healing, peace, and purpose.

My Story, My Song is the heartwarming memoir of the late 88-year-old Lucimarian Tolliver Roberts, mother of Good Morning America coanchor Robin Roberts. It details pivotal moments in Mrs. Roberts' life, revealing how faith in God gave her strength and hope to face the challenges of life. Good Morning America viewers came to know and love Lucimarian Tolliver Roberts. For many, the heartfelt connection began the day after Hurricane Katrina blew through the Gulf Coast. They eagerly watched as Robin stood among the remnants of her hometown and talked about her desperate search for her elderly mother, who had ridden out the storm in her Mississippi home. Once she knew that her mother was safe, Robin admitted she was not surprised to learn that even as the winds howled and floodwaters rose, Lucimarian Roberts sang hymns. As she was working on her memoir, Lucimarian still was able to recite the lyrics to hundreds of hymns and spirituals first learned in her childhood church. She credited hymns for helping her, a black woman born in 1924, live faithfully through the turbulent times of the Great Depression, segregation, the civil rights struggle, and the loneliness and constant moves that came with being married to a U.S. Air Force officer. Robin writes, "Folks are drawn to Mom's humility, wisdom, and spirituality. Countless times I've been told, 'Your mother should write a book.' Reflections from Robin on her mother's life and faith cap each chapter. Now you will be able to gain insights from Lucimarian Roberts' amazing life. "God has brought the most wonderful and sometimes the most unlikely people, of all ages and races, into my life to encourage and guide me on this spiritual journey of life," Mrs. Roberts said with bright eyes. Highlights of My Story, My Song include: Inspiring stories of how a mother's love and character affect generations to come A tribute to the power of hymns and music to lift the heart out of loneliness and grief Honest childhood stories of poverty and alcoholism and the strength to overcome Insight into life as an African American during segregation and beyond Examples of the powerful influence of mentors and role models Encouraging stories of aging with grace Reminders of the impact of integrity, character, and love You will be inspired and uplifted by this memoir of a woman who faced the best and worst of times with faith, dignity, and grace.

All proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to The Miscarriage Association to help in their work supporting families. This book is both my story and my song. It is the story of my babies who died before they were born; it is my song of healing and hope in grief, given as a gift to others. It is not a diary or an autobiography of my experience; rather it is a collection of poems and prose which I have written over the years in memory of my four baby boys and in the journey of grief which I have travelled. They were written as a form of healing and they are given now in the hope that they might help the healing of those who read them. I am a mum of angels; We are many in number; We are never alone. Emma

Betty Carr Pulkingham grew up in North Carolina and received a bachelor of science in music from Womens College, UNC. Following graduate studies at the Eastman School of Music, she taught music theory at the University of Texas for four years and then directed both church and secular choirs. For seven years she directed the choir of the Church of the Redeemer in Houston, where her husband served as rector. They became founding members of the Community of Celebration. During the years of the Communitys residence in Great Britain (197485), Betty played a primary role in developing resources for Christian worship and nurture. She co-edited three contemporary songbooksSound of Living Waters, Fresh Sounds, and Cry Hosanna!and a hymnal supplement called Come Celebrate! for major publishers in the UK and the USA. Other published works include two books (Little Things in the Hands of a Big God and Sing God a Simple Song); a responsorial Psalter for Years A, B, and C; hymns and octavo anthems; music for children; and four settings of music for the Eucharist. She helped produce more than forty recordings and served on the Episcopal Churchs Standing Commission on Church Music. A significant aspect of Pulkinghams teaching ministry has been her ability to blend the discipline of traditional, classical musicianship with folk arts to draw congregations into a deepened and lively experience of worship. In 2006 she received the honorary doctor of humane letters degree from Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia, and in 2007 she received the degree of Doctoris in Sacris Litteris from Wycliff College of the University of Toronto. She and Graham have six children. Since his death, Pulkingham has made her home in Burlington, North Carolina. She remains a Companion of the Community of Celebration in Aliquippa, PA.

“I felt a shift in my grieving as it went from earthly bound to heavenly bound; I could smile at just the thought of the day when I would see her face to face. I no longer cried because I wanted her back in my world, but I looked forward to the day that I would join her in her, new world. My heart-cry was gone and replaced with the peace of knowing that this earthly life is just a vapor of our existence.” This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all day long! This line was continuously going through my thoughts as I began this book about the unexpected loss of Emilie, my 18-year-old daughter, in a tragic accident. I lay open my heart and share the good, bad, and ugly of the whole emotional process. I cannot even fathom where or who I would be right now if I had no faith in God and his heart-healing power. Most of all, I want people to know that with Jesus they are not alone in their grief.

The first of two volumes to be published, in This is my Story, This is my Song, Leonard S. Buxton recounts the first half of his engaging life and his long career in ministry. He has written a very entertaining personal account of his upbringing as the son of a fire-and-brimstone Evangelical preacher during the Depression, the beginnings of his political consciousness through WWll, his college life and the strict mores of the 1950s, and moving from parish to parish with his young family during the turbulent social change of the 1960s and early 1970s. As a professor of psychology at Claflin, a black university in South Carolina, Leonard recalls his activism within the church—and literally in his own backyard—to break down the resistance to desegregation and to support the civil rights movement. This book is filled with evocative photographs and colorful firsthand history, its joys and heartbreaks: Studebakers and VWs, the Red Sox and Yankees, teen hang-outs in drugstores, music, dramatic productions, and church camping, the serious social stigma of divorce, the illegality of adultery, the scourge of polio, the loss of a child, group ‘encounter sessions,’ George McGovern, Benjamin Spock, Kent State, burning crosses . . . A man devoted to building congregations as a pastor, psychologist, parish counselor, teacher and activist, Leonard depicts characters and narrates events with remarkable acuity. This book is a rich reflection on his experiences, written with candor and humility, and observing people and events through the kind lens of his dedication to serving others and his evolving faith as a Methodist minister. To quote one of Leonard’s aspirations for this memoir, “For those still casting around an unclear future, this may say ‘Take heart; life will be full of surprises.’”