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ABOUT ME
Jacquelyn Smithson Howard is an author, ghostwriter, editor, and publisher originally from Nashville, Tennessee. Her love of poetry began with her father reciting his favorite poems at their dinner table. He used stories to teach life lessons. Her Aunt, Mary Elizabeth Smithson, who wrote the Head Start Reading program, used poetry to make learning fun. Jacquelyn learned that the poems and short stories would come without warning. She listened and wrote them down no matter the time or place. She writes from her own life experiences and shares them at open mics and public events.
Her father’s stroke in 2004 was the impetus for a health journey that resulted in a loss of 157 lbs. and her first memoir. Now, in her sixth decade of writing, she partnered with another Aunt, Sister Sandra Smithson (aka Sister Maria Crucis), a Catholic nun of 70 years, until her death in May 2022. Their books fund a scholarship program for at-risk youth. Jacquelyn has 22 books to her credit. Her books were recognized three times by the Sacramento Literacy Foundation, and her poetry books are in the private collections of the California State Library and the Special Collections of the Sacramento Public Library.
Jacquelyn is a member of the writing groups ZICA Creative Arts & Literary Guild and Black Women Write. She is a contributing author, ghostwriter, and editor in several anthologies. In addition, Jacquelyn performed at Celebration Arts Theater and recited poetry at various Sacramento Poetry venues. She is available as a public speaker on any platform.
Jacquelyn currently lives in Elk Grove, California. Her office, by appointment only, is 9719 Lincoln Village Dr., Suite 504, Sacramento, CA 95827. Contact her at itsmytimetosoar@gmail.com.