Rising Coronado High School (CHS) senior Jamie Piearcy recently published her second work of fiction: Visions of You and Me. This 116 page collection of 45 poems delves into deep questions about existence, love, and reality. The book is available in paperback or ebook from Amazon.com.
While the COVID-19 quarantine paused many people’s lives, Jamie said quarantine helped her writing because, “I’ve had a chance to step back and observe the world and what’s going on within it. My writing has gotten much more reflective—introspective, if you will—on things about existing and living life to the fullest.” Jamie’s first book, The End of Heaven, was also written during quarantine and published in August 2020.
Poetry has always been Jamie’s favorite medium, so she felt it was only natural for her to publish a collection of poems. As Jamie says, “For years, I’ve used poetry as a way to explore my innermost thoughts and feelings, and I felt it was time to show the world.”
Jamie’s inspiration for nearly all her poems came from a specific person or situation in her life. “I like to think of each poem as an unsent letter. The inspiration was only what I wish I could have said, or what I felt at the time or now towards the person/situation.”
When asked about the choice of topics for her poems, Jamie shared, “Human emotion has always been captivating to me. I think we find love in the most unknowing corners of the world and when you’re in love, no matter what sort of love it is, it’s an experience worth documenting. Sometimes, you only know you were in love when you look back, and I wanted to bring in that element as well as the idea of the mixed emotions of moving on.”
Jamie found it hard to choose a favorite of the poems but she eventually selected Sinners are Gilded. She shared, “I wrote it sitting on my front porch, listening to the birds chirp and the trees rustle in the breeze, in such a peaceful environment, and was shocked to discover that I was angry. I was angry that I was so lucky in my life while others were not.”
This poem is about the idea that homosexual love is a sin, and “how so much in this world that is golden (gilded) or beautiful, healthy, and stable, is labeled as wretched by hateful people”. Jamie stated, “As a bisexual myself, I find the thought that the simple joy of love between me and another girl could be labeled as terrible is tragic, and so many suffer for something I think is one of the purest things in the world.”
As a rising senior, Jamie will be applying to college this fall with plans to study forensic technology while continuing her writing. “Writing gives me strength and hope, and it is something I plan to do forever. “
Jamie would also like to share with The Coronado Times community that there are big things coming from her soon. “A lot of exciting stuff is in the works right now, and I can’t wait to release it to the public. You’ll have to be patient, but the next story is not far off! Furthermore, I wanted to say thank you for the continued support of my passion and work. It means a lot to me.”
Congrats on publishing your second work, Jamie!
