J.M Hope - Author.

Please be aware that upcoming events in downtown Charleston may impact your trip to the Main branch on Wednesday (June 17), Thursday (June 18), and Saturday (June 20)!

See this link for information about road closures, traffic, and parking:

https://www.charlestonwv.gov/trafficinformation?fbclid=IwY2xjawSU9HtleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETJZUjlJZjF6aVcxOUc5VmM3c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkasoGW6WfS6MRB01vQbjzmi6JbWqCKzFbXSXoP-DxLq_capSMwJjZkBiWP5_aem_wC1ifm-nCgpLWkeD7OoUAw

(Reminder: We are closed Friday, June 19 in observance of Juneteenth.)

It's so much harder to write a book than people think. I've been writing for over a year now. I'm on my third draft and still have a lot of editing to do; then I'll have to hire an editor. If you care about your writing and want it done right, it's going to take hard work, dedication, time, and yes, money.

What would be a good name for my new poem?

I met her after she died
in a bookstore tucked into the Appalachians.
It smelled of must,
yellowed pages,
and stale coffee.

The cool floors groaned beneath my feet
as I crossed that quiet ground.
The air whispered between the aisles,
shelves lined with the spines of endless worlds.

That’s where I found her,
pressed beside the local writers.
She caught my eye
like she’d been waiting on me for years.

She wore a jacket
faded by forgotten touches.

I tucked her under my arm
and claimed her with crumpled bills and spare change,
then walked her past the jingling doors
to my car.

How long had it been
since she’d seen the sun?

That evening, I sat with her
on my front porch.
The sun slipped behind the mountains,
and steam from my coffee
rose like spirits without a home.

She told me her story.
She told me who she was.