My soul sistalove Abiola’s Substack post reminded me this morning that yesterday (September 25, 1952) was the heavenly born day of ancestor bell hooks (Gloria Jean Watkins). bell is one of my Thriving Mindfully sheroes whose spirit, wisdom, and literary work has guided me since I discovered her books during my first Saturn Return in the early 1990s. bell’s Ain’t I A Woman Bell Hooks Black Women Feminism and Sisters of the Yam: Black Women and Self-Recovery are the two books that helped me understand, define, care for, love, and value myself as I navigated my turbulent 20s and stepped into my calling as an artist, writer, healer, and community builder.
In my 30s and 40s, bell’s Salvation, All About Love, Communion, Remembered Rapture, Bone Black, Feminism Is for Everybody, Art on My Mind, The Will to Change, We Real Cool, A Woman’s Mourning Song, and Rock My Soul anchored and guided me as a creative, and inspired me to write my debut novel, Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One, and a first memoir, That Which Awakens Me: A Creative Woman’s Poetical Memoir of Self-Discovery.
Earlier this month, I returned to bell’s beautiful poetry published in her book, When Angels Speak of Love. Her words brought me back to a sweet joy I hadn’t felt in a long time. It was the sweet joy of reading kindred soul’s emotions on paper that breathed life into my own words and reminded me how important it is to continue answering the calling on my life and legacy as a creative.
Below are several quotes featuring some of bell’s most meaningful wisdom that I have cherished.
What are your favorite bell hooks’ books and wisdom?
How did bell impact your life?
