Marina The PoetAuthor/Poet/Playwright/Workshop Facilitator/Visionary
Marina has never been one to follow the crowd. Even as a young child, when most girls her age played with dolls, she begged her parents for a typewriter. More than anything in the world, Marina wanted to write.
Marina Thomas was born in Harlem and raised in Brooklyn, NY. She grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, and found herself in and out of trouble in the tough neighborhood during her teen years.
Despite having strong, positive, loving parents that both worked hard to provide for Marina and her sibling, and being an extremely bright student, she continued to rebel through high school, barely graduating. It was not until her freshman year at Norfolk State University that she realized many of her problems stemmed from a childhood traumatic experience.
As a result of a personal commitment to wholeness and healing, and with God's guidance, Marina decided to take the helm of her life. She succeeded in healing her mind, heart and spirit from the trauma of her childhood experience. It was at this point in her life that she revisited an old friend…writing. Marina wrote poetry sporadically in her teens, and of the past she states, “Once I was able to come to terms with the past, I began to turn off the voice inside my head that was filled with negative ideas about myself, and began to re-write my own script. A script that told me I was worthy of all God promised for me and my life.”
Marina’s journey toward her dreams of writing full-time did not happen overnight, and there were times when she questioned her path, but life circumstances, determination and her faith finally afforded her an opportunity to turn to her passion for writing full-time. Since that time, she has published a book, cut a CD, shared the stage with Nikki Giovanni and Dr. Cornell West, and penned, cast and debuted her first play; Black Diamonds and Pearls…Rise Up and Shine! based on an adaptation of her book of poetry, If I Decide to Fly!, - Collected Poems of Affirmation and Celebration for African-American Men/Boys.
Marina now desires to travel the world sharing her story through her poetry. Marina’s debut book, If I Decide to Fly! - Collected Poems of Affirmation and Celebration for African-American Men/Boys, is her testimony to the power of faith, love, and forgiveness. Her story of triumph over a past that threatened to bind her to anger, resentment, guilt and pain is one that transcends nationality, sexual orientation, age, economic status, gender, race, relationships, etc. It is a universal story, one that could be told by any human being.
Poems from the book, If I Decide to Fly!, - Collected Poems of Affirmation and Celebration for African-American Men/Boys, such as “Hunk of Black Man”, “I’m Not Confused About Life At All!”, and “I’m Your Girl”, tell stories that are woven directly from the fabric of everyday life. Although, If I Decide to Fly!, was written to proudly uplift, affirm and empower African-American Men/Boys, Marina’s poetry reflects the tenacity, fortitude and brilliance that is within us all.
Consequently, Marina’s performances, workshops and lectures have been described as passionate, captivating and inspiring. She has the innate ability to connect with all of humanity, inviting everyone in her presence to experience her poems, not just hear them.
Marina is working on her second book of poems and her first manuscript for a novel. She recently released her first CD which includes fourteen selections from the book If I Decide To Fly!, accompanied by original music. Marina facilitates workshops on self-esteem for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. She holds a BA from Queens University of Charlotte, in Charlotte, NC.
