April 14, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — Ramona Harvey, a disability advocate and 1999 graduate of DePauw University, has "written hundreds of poems," notes a story in Indiana's Michigan City News Dispatch. "What's more, about a hundred of them are contained
in a book called Unclipped Wings. The newspaper reports on Harvey's debut, and the late friend she dedicated the book to, Jodi James.
"Harvey was born with a disability, but refuses to let it stop her," reports Deborah Sederberg. "A writer for 30 years, the 34-year-old Harvey said she completed her first story when she was 4. Unfortunately, a house fire when she was 14 destroyed it, as well as many of her early works. Chuckling softly during a telephone interview from her Bloomington, Ind., home, she explained the emphasis on poetry after the fire first was engender by fear. 'I thought, 'It's only a poem, and if I lose it (in its written form), I'll still have it in my head because poems are short.'"
The text notes, "A DePauw University graduate, Harvey works as an independent consultant and advocate for people with disabilities ... When
asked what the book is about, Harvey refers people to the poem
'Unclipped Wings' on page 75: '... On unclipped wings, that move
without effort or pain, acknowledging nothing but the glory of
existence...'"
According to Harvey, "A good poem is one in which the writer may or may not use prescribed forms," Harvey said, "but a good poem must connect with the reader."
Access the complete article at the News Dispatch's website.
Learn more about Unclipped Wings in this recent story.