Joyce Purvis Releases Autobiography MY SOUL CRIES OUT

Growing up in a low-income home in Norfolk, Va., during the era of segregation - and the child of alcoholic, abusive parents left scars on author Joyce Purvis that remain to this day. Other problems began when she started working for the Department of Defense because it was uncommon for a black female to have top secret clearance at a prominent government post. This new book details the discrimination, racism and social stigmas she faced and her refusal to give up hope, keeping faith in God even as she struggled with mental illness, alcoholism, her sexuality and a developmental disorder.

"My Soul Cries Out: The Journey of My Life" shares the story of a girl whose family and neighbors were so poor they gave hand-grown vegetables instead of candy on Halloween, and they were happy to have it. Instead of supporting his family of five, her father spent money on new cars, expensive clothes and women, and he beat his wife until she bled. His wife also had affairs, and the resulting emotional turmoil affected Purvis in physical ways. Being molested by a white stranger at age 6 was just one indignity that affected her self-esteem. Discrimination continued first in her job as clerk typist at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard and then as a mail and file clerk at Atlantic Fleet Intelligence Center. An unfairly denied promotion spurs alcoholic lunches and increased drinking but finally prompts Purvis to seek counseling and be diagnosed with manic depression.

Her hard work and college courses pay off in the Naval Reserves, performing overseas active duty training in London, Naples and St. Croix the Virgin Islands, as well as North Atlantic Treaty Organization exercises. Family issues, however, continue as Purvis continually ends up caring for other family members, taking them into her home despite their failings. Trouble follows Purvis after retirement, and she learns her drinking has caused chronic pancreatitis. A series of financial disasters leads her to the brink of suicide. Living life as a closeted lesbian - fearing she will lose her government job - adds to Purvis' stress and low self-esteem. A diagnosis at age 59 of Asperger's Syndrome brings an odd sense of comfort, helping explain some of her behavior and relationships with colleagues and family.

A sampling of drawings by the author and poems she wrote adds poignancy to this honest memoir about one woman's roller coaster journey from humble beginnings to fully accepting herself. A haunting line from her poem "Absence of a Smile" shows the pain that still lingers today: "My soul endured the darkness of a life of despair/From the emotional journey my heart had to bear."

Author Joyce Purvis, who worked for the Department of Defense as a civil servant for 25 years before retiring in 1996, served as a weekend drilling Naval Reservist for more than 20 years. After retiring, Purvis volunteered to go on active duty and received a presidential recall to work on a special project for the defense department. During that time, she earned a degree in computer information systems from Tidewater Community College and went on to major in criminology at St. Leo University. This book had its roots in an autobiography class and journals Purvis kept.

For additional information, please visit http://www.joyceapurvis.com.

My Soul Cries Out: The Journey of My Life
Joyce Purvis
Dog Ear Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-4575-1740-2 108 pages $14.95 US

Available at Ingram, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and fine bookstores everywhere.

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