I write because I have to. I began writing poetry at age 10. My first book was written while travelling in the Air Force. It was based on my childhood and college experiences. My inspirations included Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, Langston Huges, Malcolm X, Herman Hesse, Dick Gregory and Frank Yerby. I remember jotting down snatches of words on napkins and envelopes, turning them into sentences then paragraphs.