Good News

events
(I sang this title in my Glinda from Wicked voice)

I'm so thrilled to share a few good things with you!

1) WE HIT 10,000 STREAMS!!!!

Eeeek!!!! I'm so humbled that to share that the music I've written has hit ten thousand streams across all streaming platforms (including radio streams! 😱). Thousands of people in over 30 countries have welcomed my voice & my words into their homes, commutes, workspaces, etc and I'm overwhelmed with love. From Call Home to Wish You Were Here to Paper Cranes, thank you so, so much for listening!



2) I now have an events page!

Unapologetically Pam now has an events page where you can see all upcoming shows, gigs, speaking events, and more!

3) I booked my next festival!

Speaking of events, I'm excited to announce I'll be performing on The Main Stage at Southport Art Fest on July 8th!!! Join me & DeMico for an electrifying acoustic set from 4-5:15 p.m.







Three Months Later

poetry
It's our three month anniversary, yall!


Yes, it's been three months since the release of No Unpaid Passengers!!! And wow what a ride it has been. 

I believe there is power in pause: the ability to be still for a moment, to celebrate, to reflect, to step back and see the good. The release of this book has been a really monumental moment in my life. I don't want to miss the chance to reflect on all that has happened in the last three months. So here goes:

Three Months Later 

1. No Unpaid Passengers was on the Amazon Bestsellers List for 30 days straight, including:

• #1 New Release in Black & African-American Poetry
• #3 New Release in American Poetry
• #7 New Release in Women's Poetry Worldwide
• #12 New Release in Poetry Worldwide
• #16 Best Seller in Black & African-American Poetry

2. The announcement of my second book was published by TWO HUNDRED AND ONE websites, including Fox, NBC, CBS, ABC, Digital Journal, The Daily Herald, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, and several international outlets in India, Thailand, and Indonesia!


3. The CHICAGO TRIBUNE did a story on No Unpaid Passengers! *pinch me because I still canNOT believe this happened to meeeee*

4. No Unpaid Passengers received 5 stars across the board on all critics reviews! As a writer, critics reviews are super valuable in a number of ways. They boost legitimacy and can lead to improved rankings and sales. Many thanks to the writers, poets, and reviewers at Readers Favorite and Literary Titan for giving my work love!

5. I went on an 8-Stop Book Tour! Each of these stops were in collaboration with organizations that have incredible missions. We were able to use art to serve the community over and over and over again. I still cannot believe it. This fall, I have hugged so many folks, held many hands, and heard many stories. I, myself, have felt seen, heard, and held as well. Thank you to every single one of you for showing up. I'm so grateful!

6. No Unpaid Passengers won the Gold Book Award by Literary Titan in November 2022!!!

7. No Unpaid Passengers was named a Finalist for Best Poetry Anthology and Best Urban Poetry at the Best Book Awards!!!

8. No Unpaid Passengers was a fourth round finalist (out of hundreds of poetry books!) for the Best Indie Book Awards!!!


WHEEEEEW. Yall. Do you see what we've done in three months? What a wild, wild ride this has been. And it's not over yet! There are still more performances, more announcements, and more possibilities to come. I pray that I will be ready for it all. And I'm so thrilled you're on this journey with me.

Cheers to us, and cheers to No Unpaid Passengers, both the book and the motto to live by ðŸŽ‰

Unapologetically,
Pam





Fall Book Tour

poetry
My friends, it has been an absolute whirlwind of adventure since the release of No Unpaid Passengers. From the first 5-star critics reviews of my book to an article in the Chicago Tribune (pinch me!) to many of you sharing photographs after getting your copies in the mail. I am in disbelief that this little book of spells and train rides is out in the world.

And what a ride it's taking me on. There are days where I don't know how I'm keeping up with all of the requests and messages in front of me and then there are days of complete stillness where I wonder if I'm doing enough, if my work is enough, if I am enough.

Well, today is one of those days where I know I'm doing not only enough, but perhaps the most, because I'm going on a book tour!



*cue the airhorns* AHHHHHH!!!!!!

Yall. I'm screaming. There's no other way to put it. I'm screaming! I am so excited to share space with you all this fall. I get goosebumps when I think of the causes I'll get to support (deets below). I'm honored about the organizations that have believed in me enough to have me at their events to perform. I'm thrilled about the hands that will hold No Unpaid Passengers. I'm emotional about the poems that will resonate. I'm humbled that any of this is happening to me at all. I'm so grateful!

Get tickets below:
*Please note the date change for WNDR to November 19th rather than the 12th.
● October 5th 5-8pm Midwest Coast Brewing - fundraiser for Chicago Jobs Council, a nonprofit organization working to create an anti-racist workforce development system and employment equity so that everyone can realize their unique pathway out of poverty
● October 7th-9th Raleigh Film & Arts Festival - screening of "The Tree and The Hummingbird" a poem originally written for the National Alliance on Mental Illness and included in No Unpaid Passengers
● October 12th Pinot & Poetry - virtual celebration and live reading of the release of No Unpaid Passengers on IG Live at 6 CT! Follow me here so you don't miss it ♥
● October 20th Caring for Her: State of Black Women & Girls Mental Health in Chicago - Join us for an in-depth discussion featuring inspiring women leading and creating bold mental health solutions for Black women and Girls
● October 22nd WNDR Museum - a celebration of the visual arts with music & poetry. We'll be performing from 1-4!
● November 2nd Brookie's Corner - author's conversation on why we write, how our poetry came to life, and enjoying the process along the way. Happening on Instagram Live at 6 CT/7ET.
● November 19th WNDR Museum - so nice, we're doing it twice ðŸ¥° 1-4 p.m.
● December 17th A Very Real Holiday - holiday music, poetry, and real talk for the many of us who's holidays look a little different from the hallmark cards. Live at WNDR from 1-4 p.m.

See you soon, beloveds.


Unapologetically,
Pam

Award-Winning Poet and Author Pam R. Johnson Davis Releases Sophomore Poetry Anthology

poetry

Author Pam R. Johnson Davis Releases “No Unpaid Passengers”


Chicago, IL - Sept. 1, 2022 – Award-winning indie author and poet, Pam R. Johnson Davis, announced the release of her newest book, “No Unpaid Passengers.” The eagerly awaited publication is now available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle edition.


Everyone has moments in their life they’d rather not contemplate. Johnson Davis addresses that issue head on through the lens of her own life. She takes readers on a journey of self-discovery and what it means to ‘choose yourself.’ Individuals will accompany the author as she moves through her life’s memories. Johnson Davis explores themes encompassing childhood trauma, divorce, Blackness, church politics and more through her collection of heartfelt poems.


“No Unpaid Passengers” is an awakening for readers, helping them understand and lose the toxic elements in their life through the lens of Johnson Davis’s own story. She asks the question, “What does it mean to truly live the decision to choose yourself?” as she sheds the people, places and things that have been extra baggage along the way.



Johnson Davis writes unapologetically, with passion, clarity and a healing touch. She always seeks to explore, understand and uplift women on their own journey of wellness and healing.


Johnson Davis’s first book, “Seasons (I’ll Be Seeing You): A collection of poems about heartbreak, healing, and redemption” debuted in the No. 1 spot for new releases in African American Poetry and Women’s Poetry Worldwide on Amazon. It’s a position the book held on the Amazon best-sellers list for several weeks in 2020. The author and her book have won a long list of prestigious awards.


“No Unpaid Passengers” is an emotional and freeing experience that gives women permission to be themselves, find their center, and eliminate the baggage that they all carry. The book is a life affirming tribute to self-care and healing of the mind and spirit.


The book is available on Amazon, in both paperback and Kindle editions: https://a.co/d/c2Zsx5d 


About Pam R. Johnson Davis

Pam R. Johnson Davis is an award-winning writer, singer, historian, educator, TED Talk speaker, and originator of the “Unapologetically Pam” blog. She’s been named one of the 29 Black Bloggers Making a Statement and been featured in a variety of online literary and art publications. Her work has received the Best Urban Poetry Book Award, the Gold Book Award, and the Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal. Her R&B track, “Soul,” was named Track of the Month at Tracks Music Awards, Best American Roots Song at One Earth Awards, and her album “Call Home” received bronze medals for Best Emerging Artist and Best Lyrics/Songwriting at the Global Music Awards. Her work has also been chosen for two film festivals. 


Media Contact

Contact – Pam R. Johnson Davis

Email – unapologeticallypam@gmail.com

Country – USA

Website – unapologeticallypam.blogspot.com

In Due Time

poetry
I received my very first Pushcart Prize nomination and I'm crying!



What's wild is that the poem they chose was "Seeing The Real Her" which is a very emotional poem for me. It is a poem I wrote about my estranged grandmother after her death. But also it is the poem that sparked the blog post "Anyone Can Write a Poem."

You see, "Seeing The Real Her" is the poem that was rejected by an Ivy League magazine (🙄) back in January 2021. The editor gave me very harsh feedback and in so many words, suggested that I wasn't a good poet. That conversation hurt me. I didn't write for about a month. But I'm glad that when I picked up my pen again, I wrote the open letter because "Anyone Can Write a Poem" became the basis of my TEDxChicago submission. And guess what?



I was selected alongside about 12 others to give a TED Talk at TEDxChicago!!! My TED Talk is now available to watch here. It is all about poetry being everywhere and for everyone because I truly do believe there is poetry in us all. I'll work to never allow anyone to discredit that in me again.

It was wildly serendipitous that I learned of this Pushcart Prize nomination on the same day that my TED Talk was released on YouTube. God's timing is impeccable.

The next time someone tries to tell you who you are, trust yourself. And just know that a "no" might become the best "yes," in due time.


Unapologetically,
Pam

"Call Home"

music


My debut solo album Call Home is OUT NOW 🎉

Ahhhh! It still feels surreal to even type that sentence. But yes, it is true! Call Home can be found on all digital streaming platforms! 

I've been working on this collection of poems and music since late 2019. What started as a side project became the biggest labor of love. I wrote, composed, recorded, and produced this album entirely on my own. It took me almost two full years to learn everything I needed to learn and try everything I needed to try in order to make Call Home a reality. I can't tell you the number of times I threw everything out and started over. I can't tell you the number of times I went back and realized that the original version of a song/poem was actually best. I couldn't tell you all the time I spent learning how to make music as a non-instrument playing singer (yall, there's one song where I'm playing piano and singing live with a ton of construction and noise in the background and I've heard that this one is in line to be the favorite track). I couldn't tell you how many times I cried, both from frustration and from joy. I can't tell you how this entire album is 9 tracks, and totals about 20 minutes, yet somehow feels like a lifetime. I can't tell you how excited, yet terrified, yet thrilled, yet anxious, yet happy I am.

Call Home is the most perfect, imperfect gift I've given myself as a singer. It is a love story to me, and a love story to you. I can't wait for you to hear it.

Unapologetically,
Pam

Our Third Award!

poetry
Friiiiieeeends! I am so, so honored to share that we won our third award for Seasons (I'll Be Seeing You)! 


When I received this news, I was truly floored. The annual Readers' Favorite International Book Award Contest is highly competitive. It is one of the few contests that honors both indie authors and major publishers. Winners have ranged from celebrities like Jim Carrey to NYT Best selling authors to little Black girls from North Little Rock, AR (me). Wow!!!! I am still processing my joy, but wanted to share this press release now. See all of the winners here and the post in my category here. Sending you all love!

Unapologetically,
Pam

***

September 1, 2021

For immediate release:

Readers' Favorite recognizes "Seasons (I'll Be Seeing You)" by Pam R. Johnson Davis in its annual international book award contest, currently available at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08B84QS71.

The Readers' Favorite International Book Award Contest featured thousands of contestants from over a dozen countries, ranging from new independent authors to NYT best-sellers and celebrities.

Readers' Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the "Best Websites for Authors" and "Honoring Excellence" awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.

We receive thousands of entries from all over the world. Because of these large submission numbers, we are able to break down our contest into 140+ genres, and each genre is judged separately, ensuring that books only compete against books of their same genre for a fairer and more accurate competition. We receive submissions from independent authors, small publishers, and publishing giants such as Random House, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster, with contestants that range from the first-time, self-published author to New York Times bestsellers like J.A. Jance, James Rollins, and #1 best-selling author Daniel Silva, as well as celebrity authors like Jim Carrey (Bruce Almighty), Henry Winkler (Happy Days), and Eriq La Salle (E.R., Coming to America).

"When the right books are picked as winners we pay attention. We will be spreading the word about Readers' Favorite." --Karen A., Editor for Penguin Random House

Readers' Favorite is proud to announce that "Seasons (I'll Be Seeing You)" by Pam R. Johnson Davis won the Silver Medal in the Poetry - Love/Romance category.

You can learn more about Pam R. Johnson Davis and "Seasons (I'll Be Seeing You)" at https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/seasons-ill-be-seeing-you where you can read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through their website and social media pages.

Readers' Favorite LLC
Media Relations
Louisville, KY 40202
800-RF-REVIEW
support@readersfavorite.com
https://readersfavorite.com

Two Poems

poetry
A Soft Place to Land

Child of Onyx:
Your tresses tower to the sky
Defiant.
That's what they call us
And yet the constellations call us
to keep building a ladder to heaven
because I know God is a Black woman
because I have felt Her.

Child of Coal:
Did you know coal takes millions of years to form?
Pressure.
We apply it
And yet who supplies it as we carry the energy of a nation
birthed through generations
from Auntie Harriet to the unnamed, unmarked grave?
Who will love us better than us?

Child of Obsidian:
Daughter. Mother. Sister. Friend.
Beautiful.
May you find your rest, nay, demand it
as a field of lilac demands water
as the soil is softened by the rain.
May you, too, find a soft place to land.
Always. Always.


-Pam R. Johnson Davis


Native Tongues/Living Water
Our native tongues were different but 
somehow we spoke a mutual 

language
Me with my life-giving aura
You with eyes that see past 

flesh and bone
To seek the soul
That would give you
A taste of living 

water
and even with my timidness
You gave me your trust and 

even when I was uncertain
You held steady and 

even when I hesitated
You still believed

That although our native tongues were different 
We would share a mutual language

You were right


-Pam R. Johnson Davis

Our Second Award!

poetry

 I am so, so honored to share that Seasons (I'll Be Seeing You): A collection of poems about heartbreak, healing, and redemption has won the Gold Book Award through Literary Titan!

You can read the press release here and my author interview with them here, but I want to share some of the wonderful words that the reviewer who nominated my book for the award wrote after reading Seasons:

"Seasons: (I’ll Be Seeing You), by Pam R. Johnson Davis is an intense look at the author’s life experiences through poignant poems that are sometimes strikingly honest. While she forewarns readers about the dark places she sometimes visits with her work, there is a refreshing and uplifting side to her work as well. Readers will be taken on a beautiful ride of self-discovery through each of Davis’s poems. Her poems flow smoothly and easily off the tongue and make for lovely read alouds. Davis’s visual pauses are well-placed and serve to drive home the idea that she, and all of her readers, can overcome any obstacle.

I love poetry that pushes the limits and creates strong feelings. Davis’s work does that and more. The poems in Davis’s anthology have all the impact of the rising action and climax of a full-fledged novel. We, as readers, are afforded the opportunity to watch the poet build her way up from a truly dark place and reach again for the stars. I highly recommend Davis’s book of poetry to anyone looking for a quick relatable read or needing words of inspiration. Seasons: (I’ll Be Seeing You), by Pam R. Johnson is an emotionally charged collection of thought-provoking poetry."


Thank you so much to Literary Titan for this prestigious honor. I just keep getting my young mind blown and I'm grateful ♥

Unapologetically,

Pam

Our First Award

poetry


Friends, I'm so thrilled to share that Seasons has won its first award! 🎉🥳

That's right, yall. Seasons (I'll Be Seeing You): A collection of poems about heartbreak, healing, and redemption has been honored as the WINNER of the Best Urban Poetry Book Award through American Book Fest! You can read the press release here!

When I received the email informing me of the win, I was absolutely, positively floored. Honestly, I still am. Somehow my mind can't reconcile the little girl from North Little Rock, AR would become an award winner. But, my circle has been here reminding me that I am worthy, every step of the way. To celebrate, husbae threw me a small, COVID-safe party in our backyard. There was a photo shoot and cake and my heart is still so full. Thank you to each and every one of you for being with me on this journey. And it's only the beginning ♥

Unapologetically,
Pam

Press Release: Seasons (I'll Be Seeing You)

poetry

Pam R. Johnson Davis' poetry debut rated 5 stars by Readers' Favorite

For immediate release:

Author's new book receives a warm literary welcome.

Readers' Favorite announces the review of the Poetry - Inspirational book "Seasons (I'll Be Seeing You)" by Pam R. Johnson Davis, currently available at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08B84QS71.

Readers' Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the "Best Websites for Authors" and "Honoring Excellence" awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.

"Reviewed By Karen Walpole for Readers' Favorite

In Pam R. Johnson Davis’s book of poetry, Seasons (I’ll Be Seeing You), her poems follow seven years in her life in which she experiences heartbreak, healing, and redemption. Following a broken relationship, she experiences grief and depression which are beautifully represented in poems like “Descent” and “Worthless”. As she started to recover, Davis wrote poetry that expresses a mixture of painful learning and glimmers of hope. In the poem Oblivion, she writes about her efforts to recover: “I climb up and up, and down I go, adding to my wounds”. The last section of the book presents powerful and timely poems about being an African American. The message that you cannot know or understand unless you are actually black in America is clear and compelling. The last poem of the book, “That Girl”, changes “That girl” at the beginning to “This girl” at the end, representing the transformation from who she was to who she has become.

The poems in Seasons (I’ll Be Seeing You) by Pam R. Johnson Davis capture the very raw pain of loss, the transition to healing, and the uplifting joy that comes from surviving a difficult human experience and finding love again. The poems bravely and openly share pain and healing that is simultaneously extremely personal and universal. I found the repetition of words or phrases particularly powerful like the word “still” in “Are You There” and “mess made” in “The Mess I Made”. Some of the repetition seemed to symbolize the repeated efforts to come back and recover. I was moved by the poems in the last section of the book. In today’s America, the poems about being black could not be more timely. Beautifully written, Davis’s words remind us of how impossible it is to understand someone else’s experience and of how far we still need to go."

You can learn more about Pam R. Johnson Davis and "Seasons (I'll Be Seeing You)" at https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/seasons-ill-be-seeing-you where you can read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through their website and social media pages.

Readers' Favorite LLC
Media Relations
Louisville, KY 40202
800-RF-REVIEW
support@readersfavorite.com
https://readersfavorite.com

A Silent Prayer

poetry

8:13 A.M.

Do you hear, God?
The blood of my people cry out to you
as you did Abel?

Do you hear, God?
Centuries of black blood flowing in the streets...

Do you expect silent compliance,
a blind faith,
a stand still and wait for vengeance?

Are you there God?
For my future black babies.
For my brother.
For my husband.
For ME?

Are you there, God?
Do you hear, God?

10:13 A.M.
God, are you listening? 
Do you hear us? 
Me? My brothers? My sisters? 
Does your heart break with mine? 
Will you rise in action with us? 

Oh, God, do you hear?

3:13 P.M.
I am hurting.
I am tired.
How much more fight must we give?
How much more blood must we shed?

I fall into silent waiting.
The only sound is my heart beating, beating, beating.
But for how long?

How much longer does my heart, in all its blackness, have to beat?

Oh, God, do you hear that too?

Seasons (I'll Be Seeing You)

intellectual musings
You came like rain in the Spring
bringing forth new life.
You led me into Summer
blazing with new light.
We walked into warm ocean breezes
careful not to get too lost in the waves.
Your Love was hot, it burned like fire.
Purifying, terrifying ablaze.

And for a moment,
as I followed Your breeze,
I was free to love the seasons...

Summer's freedom soon turned into caution
as You whispered scornful winds to my ears.
But I saw beauty in the coming change.
I saw there was nothing to fear.

Then Fall came and (over night to You it seemed),
I fell in love with Her colors.
You warned Me this view was only temporary,
but I stood in awe of Her glory.

Your Love turned cold as temperatures dropped
and I could do nothing for You.

I carried Fall with Me into the Winter
and You greeted me with desolate wind & bitter cold.
Together, We looked for You through the snowfall
but You were too far to behold.

Shivering under the cold of Winter's knife,
I called for You in the darkness.
From afar, You looked at Me through frozen eyes and
turned away in sadness.

Your breeze was conditioned on the temperature of Your own gust.
You failed to see the purity of Fall's colorful leaves.
But with wide open eyes, I saw the innocence, the hope.
Your jealous wind pushed Me to see...

Finally...
I carried the wind of my own freedom.

//

Spring will soon come with Love's sweet showers
to see new flowers take root.
Summer will blaze and turn to beautiful Fall,

Maybe then again, that's where I'll be seeing You.


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