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Terry a. O'Neal
Terry a O'Neal (June 15, 1973 - )is an African American author and poet born in Stockton, California. She is the author of several volumes of poetry, young adult southern fiction and children's books. O'Neal received her BA in Communications from Kaplan University and is currently working towards her MA of Education at Ashford University.

Childhood
O'Neal's mother relocated to California from Lake Charles, Louisiana, where she was born and raised. She settled in the small country town of Stockton, California where she met and married Henry L. Williams, originally from the town of Tyler, Texas. O'Neal was born Terry Anne Williams on June 15, 1973, the second of four children to parents Barbara and Henry Williams. O'Neal's mother was a housewife during her children's early years, before taking a job as a cashier at a small African gallery on the North side of town. It was her mother that exposed her and her siblings to arts, literature and culture at a very early age in life. Prior to entering kindergarten, O'Neal was taught to read and write.

O'Neal was six years old when she met one of the greatest voices in African American literature, Ms. Maya Angelou, who was holding a book signing at the African gallery where her mother worked.

In 1978, at the age of five, O'Neal was enrolled in Commodore Stockton Skill School, where she attended from kindergarten to the eighth grade. Her passion for arts and literature flourished. In January of 1991, O'Neal earned enough credits to graduate high school. She walked with her Franklin High School class the following June.

Career
While working a full time job for the State of California and attending college courses at Cosumnes River College (in Sacramento, CA.) in the evening, in 1999, O'Neal published her first book of poetry entitled Motion Sickness.

Shortly following, in 2000, her second book of poetry was released "The Poet Speaks In Black" was released. In 2001, she released her first children's picture book "Ev'ry Little Soul", a salute to the achievement of African-American youth.

In addition to her poetry and children's works, O'Neal's first young adult southern fiction novel "Sweet Lavender" was published in 2003. A coming-of-age father daughter love story of a young black girl growing up in a small southern town during the 1960's. In 2007, it was awarded Most Outstanding Children's Novel of The Year and was adapted into a full-length feature screenplay in 2008.

In 2003, O'Neal became editor of the youth poetry anthology "Make Some Noise!" An anthology of inspirational poetry by youth from around the world. Some of her best known poetic verses such as "Here I Go Again" and "Mr. D's Blue Note" were translated into the Persian language in 2004 and published in a Golestaneh Magazine.

In 2006, O'Neal was named one of the most admired African American women in literature in a book entitled Literary Divas. Shortly following, O'Neal released her third volume of poetry entitled "Good Mornin' Glory".

Since then, O'Neal has written several published letters, articles, and essays. In 2011 she became a columnist and US correspondent for Black Heritage Today, a London based magazine.

Her upcoming works include "The Sparrow's Plight: Woe's of a 21st Century Black Poet" and "Grace and the Fig Tree".