Today, we honor Carol Wilson-Mack, a nurse, an educator, a poet, a playwright, a writer, and a woman.
In celebration of International Women’s Month, ReadersMagnet pays tribute to some of today’s relevant and significant women in literature. These female writers, novelists, authors, and storytellers have inspired not only their fellow women but society as well with their works and words. One of those modern authors someone whose work pays tribute to women from past generations. Patchwork: Conversations Between Generations by Carol Wilson-Mack is a book on women’s solidarity. Today, it is our turn to honor the author behind the book. ReadersMagnet Review honors Carol Wilson-Mack, a writer and a woman.
Early Years and Education
Carol Wilson-Mack was born in Bamberg, South Carolina. Before she began her literary journey, Carol worked as a Registered Professional Nurse. Wilson-Mack served as an educator in the Healthcare Industry, especially on staff education. She holds a Master’s Degree in Communication from the New York Institute of Technology. Carol Wilson-Mack also has a Doctorate of Divinity obtained from the Open Bible Way College in Greenville, South Carolina, in 2016. Carol completed her Doctoral Study under the leadership of Dr. Arthur Belanger. According to her, the Open Bible Way College’s education trained her ability to write inspirational scripts. Aside from her formal and post-graduate education, Carol Wilson-Mack also underwent writing workshops and training. Carol Wilson-Mack is a graduate of the Long Ridge Writers Group. Long Ridge Writers Group or now know as the Institute for Writers, a renowned educational institution for aspiring writers and authors located in Connecticut.
A Life of Art and Literature
With her training and passion for literature, Wilson-Mack set out to achieve several milestones and established herself as a serious writer. As a scriptwriter, Carol Wilson-Mack has authored numerous scripts for stage plays and films. Several of her authored scripts have been produced around Newark, New Jersey, and Baldwin and the Bronx, New York.
Carol Wilson-Mack served as the writer and artistic director of the now-defunct television show “Woman of The Week.” For more than a decade, the cable show features ordinary women doing extraordinary things. Woman of the Week was the recipient of the CAPE award (Cable Award for Programming Excellence) in 1994.
In the field of production, Carol Wilson-Mack produced stage Samuel French’s plays. One of them was “Sly Fox,” a play about a scheming, rapacious miser. Carol Wilson-Mack also directed plays. She has two under her name, Smokey Joe’s Cafe” in 2013 and “Ain’t Misbehavin” in 2017.
Unknown to many, Carol Wilson-Mack is also working with music. Wilson-Mack has produced several recordings. She produced a recording of gospel music featuring Stella Bobina and a recording with the late poet and writer’s reading words, George Edward Tait. In fact, Carol Wilson-Mack’s first published book is a tribute to a late rhythm and blues superstar Brook Benton. Fan Loyalty (2013) chronicles Wilson-Mack’s dream and journey of meeting her music idol.
Carol’s Tribute to Women
Patchwork: Conversations Between Generations is Carol Wilson-Mack’s latest work. Published last July 2020, Patchwork is a powerful tribute to women and women communities as it pays homage to women’s solidarity among African-American women who are residing in rural Bamberg, South Carolina. Patchwork is about a group of God-centered women who established an active community from 1939 to 1959. Carol Wilson-Mack shares a fantastic narrative of how quilting became a venue for these remarkable women to gather together and share challenging and inspiring stories, histories, and everything in between. The women in the quilting community came from different generations. Quilting was a major livelihood that allowed them to help their families. But their daily interaction provided something else for themselves and for the women in the room. It allowed them to know more about each other and know more about different perspectives. Despite the differences in age, background, and experiences, the women developed unique solidarity, which is the main feature of Carol Wilson-Mack’s inspiring masterpiece.
Patchwork is more than a heart-warming story about women. It is a reminder to every reader of the importance of sharing stories and experiences. Carol Wilson-Mack inspires us to connect with our communities and the people within. She also emphasized the importance of listening and understanding, that conversations should be a two-way engagement. Patchwork: Conversations Between Generations is very relevant today, at a time when there are confusions, prejudice, attacks on race and communities, and many other social issues. It is a book that will remind us of the importance of unity.
Check out Carol Wilson-Mack and her book Patchwork: Conversations Between Generations at The Festival of Storytellers, ReadersMagnet’s first-ever virtual book fair this April 23 to April 25, and April 30 to May 2.