GRATITUDE FOR MENTORS

Great Gents: My MENtors

Some superheros don’t wear capes.

Last week I shared an article about my Medium board of directors. I highlighted the works of six women that enhance my life in a major way.

Now I am sharing the works of some men that I read as much as I can on this platform. The value in the works these writers produce is immeasurable.

Please check out the selections written by my MENtors. They cover a range of topics and each writer contributes something special to my life.

Dr Mehmet Yildiz will always be my hero because he amplified my voice by giving me the opportunity to write for Illumination and Illumination-Curated.

My writing was just raggedy in the beginning, but I was so motivated to improve because I did not want to disappoint Dr Yildiz. Dr Yildiz is an advocate for writers, and he is making a positive impact on this platform! He fearlessly challenges any policy that could harm writers in any way.

This is one of my favorite pieces by the great Dr and I hope you will take the time to read his work. This piece confirmed how lucky I am to work for my incredible boss, Marilyn Manzo!

Vishnu*s Virtues is a writer that just warms my heart! He is witty and sharp. I make sure that I am not drinking anything while I read his writing. I made the mistake of sipping water once while reading an article and the results were disastrous. I was laughing so hard I ended up spewing the water out, gross! Just know that this writer will have you in stitches with his unique brand of humor. This piece is one that I return to for deep belly laughs, minus a beverage in hand.

My Texas brother from another mother is Genius Turner. He may be 22 years my junior, but he is constantly schooling me about life.

Genius was the first person to encourage me to write for a publication and he has continued to be a tremendous source of support for me. I always learn something new and insightful when I read Genius’ work.

I like to describe how I feel after I read one of Genius’ articles. I know that I have learned something, and I feel like a person placed their hand on my shoulder while they were teaching me. This is a warm gesture of endearment. I never feel like he is wagging his finger in my face and scolding me for something I didn’t know. Some writers do have the ability to make me feel uncomfortable by their preachy and didactic discourse. Not Brother Turner, he warmly shares his messages.

Please read this phenomenal piece written by Genius.

S M Mamunur Rahman taught me a very important lesson that is embedded in my brain for eternity. When I first started writing I had the tendency to indiscriminately word vomit on a page.

My paragraphs were packed with huge globs of text.

How does an editor help a writer to improve, but not discourage the writer at the same time? I am going to share how S M Mamunur Rahman did just that.

First, he let me know how many times it took him to read my article to understand what I was saying. Then, he pointed out the validity of my premise. Next, he let me know my article needed structure.

I read the piece and realized it was like furniture sitting on top of a foundation. There were no walls, no floors, no ceilings, and no structure! I needed to frame my article so that it made sense to readers. The words needed to be “housed” in order to convey my message to readers.

I cannot thank this man enough for helping me to realize what I needed to do to improve. He did not lambast me or put me down.

Please check out this amazing article by this brilliant writer and editor of The Masterpiece.

If there is a person I view as a writer’s writer, it is Terry Mansfield. I ask myself frequently is there anything this man cannot write? Terry encourages me to not get stuck in one lane. He is incredibly flexible and produces quality writing in several different genres.

I learn from Terry, I laugh because of him, and he has written pieces that made me cry.

One thing I want to point out is that I feel the humility of his spirit in his writing. That makes me seek out his work continually as well.

A gifted writer like Terry could be an egoist, but he is far from that.

Please check out this piece from Terry.

I don’t know if you have experienced the feeling of having a personal cheerleader, but Tony Young, Jr. makes me feel that I have one.

When I write pieces that I question the possible impact, Tony swoops in and makes comments that replace my doubt with pride.

Tony is an accomplished writer and he does a boatload of other things as well. He is the editor of The Yessba and magnificent writing comes out of that publication.

Despite all the irons Tony has in the fire, he still takes the time to leave compelling comments to encourage other writers. I don’t know how he gets around to all the articles he reads. I appreciate all the comments people leave for me when they read my work.

Tony just stands out because of the depth of his comments and the consistency of support he gives me.

Please check out this fabulous read written by my friend Tony.

I taught for twenty-two years, but there is a writer who teaches me about history, and I am grateful to him for that. William Spivey possesses an incredible bank of knowledge and I try to make withdrawals every chance I get.

When a notification appears that William wrote a new article, I usually stop what I am doing right then and read it.

Many people don’t read history articles because they can double as an insomnia clinic! William writes with flair that keeps you engaged in his work from beginning to end.

I am especially interested in articles that detail aspects of the lives of enslaved people. Recently when a friend reached out to me for supplemental readings for her daughter’s history class, I recommended several of William’s articles.

Please check out an example of what I am talking about by reading this piece by William.

Thank you for taking the time to read about my MENtors.

They are all talented writers and I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to read their works.

Here is the article I wrote about my board of directors in case you missed reading it.