Below is an interview with author Dr. Marcia Morgan, whose book, The Silenced Voice: There is Purpose in Pain, is a hybrid of poetry and nonfiction that talks about race and gender from the author’s specific life experiences. There is a lot of talk from readers online who say they want to read more diverse books and broaden their worldview beyond that of their own experiences or those who look and live like them. Reading Dr. Morgan’s book provides the opportunity for readers of all backgrounds to do just that. Check out her answers to my questions and her social media links below!
About Dr. Marcia Morgan
Author links (links will open in a new window)
Genres: autoethnography, poetry
Links to buy:
The Silenced Voice book summary
The Silenced Voice: There is Purpose in Pain, combines poetry, narrative and analysis to explore the psychosocial experience of a black woman practitioner-researcher through the lens of intersectionality and organisational psychodynamic theory.
Book excerpt
Using poetry as a method to understand the psychosocial experience of a black woman Prison Service employee and academic is relatively new. The author captures the emotional turmoil, as well as what it ‘feels’ like to be an intersectional subject in two white male dominated institutions: Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, UK and British universities. She uses the rich texture of words to capture the readers imagination, by igniting an emotional connection as well as a logical interpretation of the experience shared through the poems, interview extracts and interpretative narrative. By combining two distinctive theoretical approaches: organisational psychodynamics and intersectionality theory the author analyses and discusses how unconscious and conscious socially inscribed processes and patterns of relating within the organisations are shown in the poem. The poems stem from participants’ narratives written as part of her PhD reflective journal. This insight will show that anxieties stirred up by working and studying in organisations are produced out of an irreducible intersection of psychic and social processes that are underpinned by gender/racial difference.
Talking Shop
What do you want readers to take away from your books?
I have felt excluded, invisible and othered in my place of work and in higher education because of my intersectional identities. The pain of these negative feelings is sometimes hard to bear and can sometimes be overwhelming, especially when you are unable to share these feelings because you feel silenced. This book acts as a testament that there is purpose in pain.
I want readers to be inspired through my journey as a black woman practitioner-researcher to:
- Be inspired when others do not understand your purpose, or try to deter you or even sabotage your success. Be tenacious. I was, when I was told I couldn’t study A-levels; I wasn’t an ideal PhD candidate; There was no market for black women in literature. I persevered because I believed in what I was doing.
- Stay focused and do not be discouraged or get distracted by others; the challenges of life; commitments, etc. When you really want something, you will find a way to gain balance and achieve.
- Fulfil your purpose do not be silenced, be creative, you are important, your experience, your opinion, your aspirations are important. Do not be afraid to pursue them or to express yourself, but most importantly, create knowledge, theory and a positive legacy.
Name a fact or detail about your story that readers will never know is there.
Many times I was afraid, anxious and suffered from Imposter Syndrome. No one never knew. People always assumed I was strong, but it was my faith that kept me going.
What’s the best review/compliment that you’ve received about your book?
“I think her work is phenomenal, it’s inspirational.” -Dr Robinson
What famous books can you compare to your own?
Your Silence Will Not Protect You by Audre Lorde
What is a fun or strange source of inspiration that ended up in your book?
Space Invader – you feel as though you do not belong, you do not feel comfortable because you are excluded, overlooked and othered, in spaces where you have studied and worked hard and therefore deserve to be treated equally and your contributions recognised, but yet you are made to feel as though you are invading these spaces.
How long did it take to write your book from the day you got the idea to write it to the day you published it?
I wrote my first poem in 2011, At the time I was not thinking about publishing my poems. In fact, I was told there was no space for poetry in academic writing. However, my PhD thesis included poems and my first book – Black Women Prison Employees: The Intersectionality of Gender and Race, included a poem. I started writing this book summer 2018, but wasn’t ready to publish it as my first book was published that same year. I decided to publish this book in 2020, a new decade, a new voice, a new beginning in my journey.
How long have you considered yourself a writer? Did you have any formal training, or is it something you learned as you went?
I guess the realisation hit me at my book launch on the 18th September 2020 when I was asked to give advice about the writing process. I have not had any formal training; my writing skills have developed over the years by submitting essays while I studied at university and during my employment having to write reports.
If you don’t make a living exclusively writing, what is your day job? How, in any way, does it relate to your life as a writer?
I work for Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, which is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice, UK. I was awarded a Doctorate in 2016 for my research that examined the psychosocial experience of black women working in the Prison Service. I combined intersectionality theory and an organisational psychodynamic framework, to explore the social defence mechanisms that are developed when black women’s presence as gendered and racialised employees, disrupts the white patriarchal systems that perpetuate the axiomatic white male prison officer.
Who is on your Mt. Rushmore of great writers?
Black feminism:
- Patricia Hill Collins
- Bell hooks
- Audre Lorde
Novelists
- Toni Morrison
- Brenda Jackson
What were your expectations for writing and publishing your first book? Have they changed since then?
I was surprised to have been approached by my first publisher after presenting a paper at the British Sociological Association (BSA) Annual Conference, to write a monograph. I was able to agree a contract to publish an academic book – Black Women Prison Employees: The Intersectionality of Gender and Race. So, I had no expectations, I was ecstatic that I would be able to fulfil my ambition to convert my thesis into a book. My second book was very different. I had a lot more control, I was very specific about the publishers I approached and I was keen to be involved in the design and marketing of the second book.
Do you have a writing ritual, odd habits, or superstitions?
I have always been inspired by Bantu Stephen Biko – I write what I like and apply this to my own writing. I free write first before I start writing formally. I literally write or type anywhere, while commuting, in the bathroom, whenever I have a thought, I write.
How well do you handle criticism, either while writing, editing, or reviews? Do you ever use that criticism to change your story?
I welcome constructive criticism, when relevant. However, when I decided to complete my PhD I was told that black women’s experience was not worthy of researching or writing about, unless they were compared to white women. I chose to reject this advice, as my research would have perpetuated the biased gendered racial discourse that exists in the UK.
What is the most fun part about writing? The most difficult?
I love the freedom that comes from writing, especially poetry, which is cathartic and helps release stress and tension because for me it acts like a container, a safe space where I can express my feelings and anxieties.
What skills have you acquired or information have you learned from writing?
Now that I have completed a Doctorate and published two books about the psychosocial experience of black women employees and examined the issues of intersectionality within academia and the workplace, makes me a specialist in this field. And I have developed confidence to speak about the theories of intersectionality and organisational psychodynamics in different contexts.
Did you consult with any professionals or people who lived through a particular event to help you craft your story?
My research provided rich data that I could use to provide in-depth and detailed information about the psychosocial experience of black women from a UK perspective.
What is your most stereotypical writer trait? Your least stereotypical?
I don’t think I have a stereotypical trait because while writing I never knew any writers who looked like me. I am beginning to develop a network with other writers, where we share our experiences.
“What If” Scenarios
If you could have one person that you admire, living or dead, read your book, who would it be?
Toni Morrison
If you could be in a writer’s group with up to four famous writers, who would they be?
Bernardine Evaristo; Elizabeth Uviebinene; Patience Agbabi; Yrsa Daley-Ward
A wealthy reader buys 100 copies of your book and tells you to hand them out to anyone you wish. Who do you give them to?
Young people from disadvantage backgrounds who have low academic and employment aspirations.
You’re offered a contract to rewrite your book in another genre. Which genre do you choose and why?
Melodrama. To see the experience of a group of employees/academics who tend to be rendered invisible in white patriarchal organisations represented visually and aurally would be empowering and raise awareness about the intersectionality of gender and race.
You’re given $10,000 to spend on marketing for your book. How do you spend it?
To travel to schools across the UK and facilitate career development workshops using poetry as a tool to encourage students to be inspired, stay focused and fulfil their purpose in academia and future careers.
Your book becomes a best seller. What do you do next?
I would humbly thank God.
Your story gets picked up by a streaming service to make into a series. What service would you want it to be, and would you want them to follow your story closely, or would you rather see what directions they take it in?
I would want the story to be empowering to the audience and the focal point to be on the intersectionality of gender and race and how it plays out in the workplace, higher education, and society in general.
Just for Fun
Your trademark feature.
I asked my son to design a logo that he felt represented me, he designed this logo.
What legacy do you want to leave behind?
I would like to leave a legacy that inspires others to stay focused and fulfil their purpose.
A movie or a piece of music that changed your life.
Mary Mary – Can’t Give Up Now album. Thankful
Favorite place you’ve visited/place you want to visit.
When my son was six years-old, he came home from school excited about learning about the pyramids in Egypt. I promised him I would take him to the pyramids one day. Three weeks before he was going to start university, I took him on a surprise holiday to Egypt. I fulfilled a promise he thought I had forgotten about.
A book that you recommend everyone reads.
Spencer Johnson’s Who Moved My Cheese?
Celebrity you’d want to be friends with.
Michelle Obama
When time travel is achieved, do you go forward or backward?
Never backwards always forward. We cannot control the past, but we can work towards improving our future.
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