Gwen is also a talented poet and a Cave Canem Poetry Fellow. In the early 2000s her poetry won several awards and was published in many journals and anthologies. But since then her "Visual Arts" and "Literary Arts" muses have been fiercely competing for her attention. For a time her "Visual Arts Muse" was the winner taking all, but her "Literary Arts Muse" has returned giving the Gwen creative energy to tell her stories on the page once again, 9 Patch Life is Gwen's first poetry collection.
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A Second Second Chance: A Black Woman’s Story of Recovery from COVID-19 is Gwen’s first work of non-fiction. In it she recounts her devastating battle with COVID-19 and her struggle during recovery, ultimately making it back from the precipice of death. Gwen penned this memoir as a labor of love for her family and friends, but also especially for Black people and other people of color who suffer and die disproportionately from the disease. She takes into account the roles of diet and lifestyle, family and community love and support, prayer and spirituality, as well as the dire need to fight for justice as essential components for healing from disease. Gwen details her personal transformation after illness with the hope that sharing these experiences will help others to heal. Her book was chosen as a Finalist for the 2022 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.
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