By BRUCE DENNILL
Dr Tiffanie Tate Moore served in the US Navy and practised as a successful OB/GYN. But after devoting her life to saving others, her own life took an unexpected turn. Moore suffered a serious fall that left her with injuries to her wrists, knees and ankle, and resulted in a permanently frozen right wrist. In 2019, she had to medically retire at 44. Moore immersed herself in her children, her church and her sorority. In addition to leaning on her faith, Moore began writing as an outlet for her emotions. Her book, FloweTry: A Collection of 108 Poetic Flows on Life, Love, and Liturgical Issues, candidly and poignantly dives into topics including COVID, politics, Black history and police brutality. She also speaks of love and community, and includes an entire section of verses intended to encourage readers to take a closer walk with Christ.
When, and under what circumstances, did the idea for your latest book come to you?
In 2019, unexpectedly, I had to medically retire from my job due to a hand injury. This was devastating to me and sent me into a depression. I began writing poetry as an outlet for my emotions. I shared my poems with friends and they encouraged me to publish them.
Did it initially feel like something to commit to, or was that something that took time to develop?
Once I decided to write a poetry book, it became a labour of love. It was easy for me to commit to writing more poems, and I enjoyed every minute I spent working on my book.
How did you conduct your research or other preparation before writing – was it more experiential or more academic or desk-based?
FloweTry poems are based on life experiences, and thus, I would say the poetry is based on observation.
If resources (money, time, whatever) were no object, what additional groundwork would you like to have completed?
I would increase knowledge about COVID-19 and encourage people to get the vaccine. This virus is an equal opportunity killer. It has no regard for a person’s age, race, religion, sexual preference, or political affiliation. It saddens me that this disease and the vaccine have been politicised to the extent that it has.
When considering influence, do you find yourself wanting to write like someone (in terms of their style, tone or use of language), or aiming for a kind of perspective or storytelling approach you admire or enjoy?
I admire Maya Angelou. She was a prolific writer and her works had a positive impact on the community.
What’s in your to-read pile – and what upcoming book (other than yours!) are you most looking forward to?
Terry McMillan’s book, It’s Not All Downhill From Here.
Do you have a favourite character that you have created? Or if you’re writing non-fiction, do you have a specific topic that you find endlessly fascinating?
I am working on a fictional book about a character named Stephanie. It is the story about how a good girl goes bad.
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