Issue date: September 15, 1999
Though Jym Marks manages to cram many accomplishments into a single life, one of his passions continues to be writing.
Although Mr. Marks couldn't read or write until he was a young man, his fascination with words emerged when he was making up song lyrics as a teen.
In the 1970s, Mr. Marks started his own publishing company, now called Tangler Press, so his poetry could get published. The market isn't exactly clamoring for new works of poetry, he says, but he managed to publish eight books that way. He recently signed on with another publisher, Creative Arts Book Company in Berkeley, which released a ninth volume, "Flashback: The Collected Poems of Jym Marks."
The company will also be publishing his next two works, a compilation of motivational speeches, and "Intangible Love," a collection of love poems.
But just as for any writer, the work comes down not to publishing contracts but to self-discipline, making sure something gets on the page, or the computer screen, every day. Mr. Marks says he gets up at 5 every morning, and writes before he gets into the barber shop at 10.
"I try to write every day," he says. "If I don't get in front of my computer, I scribble something down. Maybe no more than an idea, a few lines. I could just write down one idea, and build from that."
Jym Marks' poetry seems to reflect his interests and background -- writing about jazz, civil rights, African-American history, the act of writing, relationships.
"I write a lot about social issues without hate," he says. "I write a lot about love and social empowerment."
But while Mr. Marks sometimes tackles big ideas and issues in his work, it's the little things that get to him, he says.
"I'm inspired by how the little things mean so much," he says. "How you can bring so much joy into a little old lady's life when she's struggling with the groceries and you say, 'Ma'am, can I help you?'"
Don Ellis, Mr. Marks' publisher at Creative Arts, says he's become a big fan, especially while working with the poet on "Flashback." "I think it's quite a treasure," he says. "I think it's full of music, full of jazz and really speaks from the heart. I like the work and I like Jym."
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