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Learning To Quote Myself
"It's not just a book of poetry, it’s a personal journey to deepen my understanding of everything."
DAMIEN TILLMAN
What's inside?
Over 50 original poems!
Two of Damien's critically acclaimed "Script Poems"!
Three memoir inspired "Follows"!
An empowering Letter to the Reader!
What Our Readers Are Saying
Damien Tillman’s debut book, Learning to Quote Myself, is a meticulously written, deeply personal collection of poems. Each poem is a uniquely thought-provoking revelation. While describing his coming-of-age journey, Tillman discovers his voice and ultimately learns the power of quoting wisdom and knowledge, especially his own. I believe Learning to Quote Myself by Damien Tillman entertains as well as educates. For a man of few words, Tillman’s poetry speaks volumes.
Helen Burroughs
HKelleyB’s Editorial Services
The book "Learning to Quote Myself" by Damien Tillman, initially misunderstood as promoting shallow individualism, surprises with its profound exploration of self. Tillman, as a black man, underscores the importance of self-understanding and its connection to understanding life itself. He beautifully weaves together his personal and collective experiences, particularly highlighting the influence of his critical-thinking mother and eloquent brother. The book is rich with poetic imagery from Brooklyn and delves into critical discussions on truth, lies, certainty, poverty, education, violence, race, sex and more. It delivers an authentic, questioning masterpiece that challenges conventional thinking and suggests it could replace Eurocentric philosophy and sociology texts in educational institutions. Tillman's clarity is disarming, making his intellectually complex work accessible and thought-provoking, encouraging everyone to freely express themselves.
Flávia Alessandra de Souza
Professor of Sociology, State University of Santa Cruz - UESC, Brazil
Dear Damien, this is one of the most amazing, mind expanding, soul-expanding books i have read in a long long time. it's not a question of whether you're a poet, it's a question of how much more and else you are - thinker, spiritual seeker, spiritual teacher, explorer (not like the ones engaged in a progression of oppression), philosopher, and clear-eyed looker at the world. i love learning to quote myself, and i am so touched to be told by you that i had a hand in your realization of your own great worth and talent. i was lucky to have you in my class, lucky to know vou now. and so grateful to have this wonderful book, whch i will return to again and again. love, jan aka prof. levi
Jan Heller Levi
Professor of Poetry, Hunter College
Damien's words flow from the pages with a unique rhythm that is immediately captivating. He dives deep into the human experience as he has lived it. I realize how important our connections are with others, particularly the ones we hold close to our hearts. Learning about his experiences helped me learn more about myself and my place in this world.
Annie J.
Your panel poem is bright, sophisticated, tasteful and powerful. Thank you for choosing me as the first person (or one of the first ones) to read your work. It honors me. If you do the same with the audio book, I'll be even happier!
Flávia Alessandra de Souza
Professor of Sociology, State University of Santa Cruz - UESC, Brazil
I give this book five stars. I say this because being a poet, I understand that when writing you need to be able to evoke emotion from your audience in a shorter period than if you were writing a short story or a novel. Damien has succeeded in that. I found myself wanting to read more about his thoughts and opinions on the topics he talks about in his poetry. I was indeed in awe of his metaphors and word usage to create such visuals. I appreciate the time he took to put his all into his work, and you can see it in his poetry throughout the book. He enthusiastically shares his reasoning for writing some of the pieces that he did. In his "follows", he gives the reader a peek into his mind.
Dominique Lambright
Owner/Writer/Editor at DML Editing & Writing
In my Master Resilience course today we went over beliefs/values (Icebergs). I expressed one of my belief in not needing to pass our beliefs and values on to our children to let them forge their own path, that I got some push back on. Idk if you ever meant it in this context Damien Tillman or if it was a exactly correct quote. But I told them I see it this way..
"I can't teach you what to think, but I can tell you what I've learned"
And it made everyone grasp a proper understanding of the concept I was expressing.
And yes I gave you by name all credit for the words lol
Jerry Young
A Word from the Author
DAMIEN TILLMAN
I wrote Learning To Quote Myself because I wanted to honestly introduce myself to the world, in the hopes that someone will be comfortable enough to introduce themselves to me.
This collection reveals as much of what's contributed to who I am as I was ready to reveal at the time. I write candidly about various experiences. My first real fight, growing up poor in Brooklyn, being Black in America.
Love, life, lust. Mistakes, Moods, Misunderstandings. Questions that still need answers and answers that left me with more questions. Maybe we can figure things out together. I'm inviting you to get to know me. After reading, I'd be honored if you felt compelled to do the same.
