by Howard Campbell
BRONX, NY – During her performance at Voice Out Jams in The Bronx four years ago, Toya J was overwhelmed by the positive response from a largely Jamaican audience.
She was not sure how her poetry, a blend of risqué and provocative, would be received. It was a career turning point.
“Reading my poetry started as a challenge to exit my comfort zone. I stumbled upon my poetry reading journey at Voice Out Jams in the Bronx in 2018. I can still feel my nerves twitching and the voices screaming loudly in my head that I should sit my ass down, instead I clutched my printed poetry like my life depended on it and faced the crowd vowing not to look at anyone,” Toya J recalled. She added that, “Sweating profusely in my neon-green summer dress, the crowd cheering me on, I gained confidence. I was pleasantly surprised at the positive feedback I received from the women in the room.”
Bold Soul Searching Monologues, her third book, was released in August by her company, Bold Flamingo Publishing. It is another serving of writings encouraging women to express their sensuality without fear.
Bold Her Liberation and Tease, her previous books, set the pace for a similarly blunt collection of writings.
Tease, her first book, set the pace for a similarly blunt collection of writings.
Toya J, who was born Marie Dunn in rural St. Ann parish, Jamaica, has lived in the US since her mid-20s. She holds a master’s degree in social work from Fordham University, a bachelor’s in English Literature from Mercy College and an associate degree in paralegal studies from Westchester Community College.
She said it took her just over three months to complete Body Soul Searching Monologues which targets females 18 years and older.
The book’s message, Toya J noted, is based on personal experience of “trauma” she hopes will uplift her sisters.
“I felt compelled to go public with my story/journey unapologetically. Sharing my experiences will help normalize, validate and empower other women. We often feel isolated when we struggle with emotional pain, and our past traumas constantly get in the way of us becoming the best version of ourselves,” she reasoned. “I hope that readers will open Bold Soul Searching Monologues with an open mind and a willingness to embrace the shared similarities embedded in the pages but, most notably, to boldly take the next step to begin dismantling their traumas to arrive at a place of bliss and confidence like I am experiencing today.”
