Meet Carol Di Prima

We were lucky to catch up with Carol Di Prima recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Carol, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I found my purpose early in life when I was an elementary school student. I loved school, but I was bullied for not being able to communicate in English. My family immigrated from Italy to New York in 1958. Hence, Italian was my native language. I didn’t have any friends and used to eat lunch by myself. I was miserable and wanted to go back to Italy. Fortunately, my third-grade teacher spoke Italian, and my life made a turn for the better. She graciously gave up her lunch hour and tutored me in English. By the end of the third grade, I became very proficient in the English language and was one of the best readers in my class. My teacher helped me to confront the bullies and soon it stopped, but it left ugly scars. Ironically, the teacher asked me to help the bullies who had problems with reading. I felt so proud. From that point on, teachers became my role models. I admired them because they encouraged me to read and inspired me to pursue my interests in and out of school to satisfy my curiosity. It was then that I decided that I wanted to be a teacher.

My high school years had the most impact in my life. I was an English honor student and became a member of the school’s honors society. There was only one English teacher who taught all the honor courses in literature and creative writing. I was her student for six semesters. I credit her for teaching me how to be “a good writer.” My desire to be an educator increased; I wanted to be just like her. She was instrumental in choosing elementary education for my master’s degree. I wanted to teach children the art of writing, and reading, the window to the world, just as she had taught me.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

My career as a former educator and school librarian spanned for decades. I have degrees in elementary education and intermedia from Lehman College and a School Library and Media Specialist (SLMS) degree from Syracuse University. Being an educator and a librarian intensified my passion for books and writing that had started in high school. It gave me great joy to see a look of wonder when my students read their favorite books. It brought back memories of my school days. Unfortunately, the scars of being bullied in elementary school surfaced as well. I observed students in my classes to be victims of social and physical bullying. I recalled how painful and hurtful being a victim was. It leaves scars on the maligned youngsters that take a long time to heal. Often the youngsters became involved in heated fights, arguments and suspensions from school. I personally still feel the hurt of being a victim, and that was many decades ago.

As such, I decided to be an advocate of the victims and to give them a voice. I wrote The Mmajjian Warrior and The Enchanted Carousel to help young people understand the impact that malicious rumors and gossip, social bullying, have on youngsters. I also wanted to relate the message that facing the culprits with the truth is empowering and liberating.

Gossip and rumors can be heard in the workplace, within a family and among friends. The words spoken cannot be taken back; only time can erase the pain and the hurt. A study done at the University of Buffalo, however, “has shown that reading fictional books increases a person’s ability to empathize with others and build cultural and emotional understanding.” My goal is that The Mmajjian Warrior and The Enchanted Carousel reaches those youngsters who have been maligned and possibly heal the emotional and psychological scars.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

My three most important qualities are: being able to empathize with victims and advocate for them, being generous with others who are in need or who are less fortunate than me and being a life-time student who is willing to learn and experience new adventures.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

The greatest area of growth or improvement has been writing/editing and self-publishing.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Credit and rights of all photos taken by and owned by Carol Di Prima

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