When approached to do this interview for the paper, I looked forward to it and I dreaded it..LOL Pam did a wonderful job and sure made me look good!
This appeared in The Houma Courier on August 24, 2006.
Local poet to sign copies
of latest book Saturday
By PAMELA S. FERRUCCI
For The Courier
Want to enrich your life or do something you have never done before? Then come out and meet first-time author Myrna D. Badgerow at BeB's Place, 5085 La. 1, Mathews fromll a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday where she will be signing her book of poetry, "My Words, My Thoughts, My Heart."
The collection of poems written in free verse, sonnets, and structured form are reflections on love and everyday life.
Badgerow, a native of Pointe-aux-Ch-enes, has been writing for six years, but has always loved the written word. She considers herself a weaver of words.
"I believe that we are the care-givers of words and must be responsible for what we write. Words are an heirloom that would be given to generations to come," Badgerow said.
Badgerow also said that the true reward of someone reading her poems is that it touches a heart or soothes a soul, only then is the written word given life.
Her favorite poem from the book is "When I Think Of Love," which reflects the giving of love between various individuals such as spouses, friends, parents, and children.
"I have been fortunate to have been loved and to return love, this is the greatest gift given in life," Badgerow said.
Badgerow's life is one of inspiration, being legally blind since infancy, she was raised with a "can do" attitude.
She and her two older brothers, who were also legally blind, received no special treatment at home by their parents.
"We had to do chores just like everyone else," Badgerow added.
Her mother's priority was to see to it that her children were well educated.
Badgerow received the honor of valedictorian at the Louisiana State School for the Blind in Baton Rouge and went on to further her education at LSU with a major in psychology in
the 70s.
Over the years she learned how to find humor in her challenges.
"I can only see images as a blur and when reading I must place the paper close to my face," Badgerow said.
"When my late husband, John, would come home from work, he would look at me and say, "I guess the newspaper came today."
"You see I had ink smudges on my nose, that's how close I have to place the paper," added Badgerow.
"Being visually challenged has offered me a somewhat different perspective of life and some of this is reflected in my poetry," Badgerow said.
Badgerow writes from her senses, a scent or a texture may evoke a thought, a feeling or a memory.
She said that most writers get inspiration from the visual world, what they see in nature, but she has to take her thoughts and work on making it visual in the reader's mind.
"My favorite quote is by Helen Keller, The best and most beautiful things in the world can not be seen or touched. They must be felt with the heart,'" Badgerow said.
Badgerow has received several online awards such as Poet of the Year and Poet of Excellence and recently her work appeared in Distant Echoes, a literary magazine.
Her other creative outlets include playing the piano and the oboe, with reading from a range of authors such as Robert Frost to Stephen King to Sandra Brown.
Badgerow is the mother of three children, two boys, Joe and Brett, and one girl, Robin, with three grandchildren, and one soon to be born.
Her second book of poetry, "Behind Me, The Mountain" will be available in six months. The theme of the book revolves around loss, grief, and discovery.
"My Words, My Thoughts, My Heart" can be purchased for $15 by logging on to www.authorsden.com or www.geocities.com/myrnaspoetry/in-dex.html
For information about the book signing, call (985) 532- 5979.
A Collection of Voices from Around the World is more than just a poetry compilation. It is a partnership of poets from around the globe brought together by an internet poetry forum. That forum, poetrypages.com, has been the home of many a fine poet s
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