Poet Wants Liberians to Study Creative Writing

By Leroy M. Sonpon, III lemaxson101@yahoo.com (231-6-585875)

A Liberian celebrity poet, Associate Professor Dr. (Mrs.) Patricia Jabbeh Wesley, has encouraged Liberians to take interest in poet and creative writing, as well as African literature.

Prof. Wesley told reporters yesterday that the study of arts (poetry) and literature enable ones to express themselves through creative writings, evidence of her publication of books of peotry. She said arts (poetry) and literature make a nation.

The Liberian poet made the assertions at Ministry of Information’s weekly press briefing, in the Ministry’s conference room in Monrovia.

Dr. Wesley is an Associate Profession of English and African Literature at Penn State University, Penn State Altoona, USA. She is an author of four books of poetry.

According to the Prof. Wesley, her first book of poetry, Before The Palm Could Bloom, was published in 1998. It entails a collection of poems about the African continent.
The second book, Becoming Ebony, was authored in 2003, while the third book, The River Is Rising, was published in 2007.
Dr. Wesley stated that her second book of poetry articulated the essence and peculiarity of becoming a black (ebony) person, and the third book is mainly about the Liberian civil war and the devastation it has brought and also the rising of the nation.
1n 2010, the Fourth book, Where The Road Turns, was in print. This book, talks about ones’ decision and choices in life.
Prof. Wesley was born in Tugbakeh, Maryland County and grows up in Monrovia. In 1985, she earned her Master Degree from Indiana University, Blomington Indiana, USA, in English Education. In 2002, she got her Doctorate (Ph.D) degree from Western Michigan University, Michigan, USA, in English and Creative Writing.
“The books, hopefully next week, will be on sale, between US$12 to US$15. And I hope Liberians as well as foreigners will take interest in reading them,” Prof. Wesley stated.