Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Joshua’s Journey
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://overcome.blog/
CITY:
STATE:
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY: American
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Children: a daughter.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and elementary school counselor.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Judith A. Dempsey is a writer and elementary school counselor. She has released both works of fiction and works of nonfiction.
A Tale of Two Brothers
Dempsey chronicles the lives of important figures in the history of aviation in A Tale of Two Brothers: The Story of the Wright Brothers. In this volume, divided into thirty-four chapters, she tells of their younger years, their experiments in aviation, the later parts of their lives, and their influence on aviators, engineers, and inventors who followed them. Orville and Wilbur Wright were born 1871 and 1867, respectively, and they were raised in Dayton, Ohio. Their parents were Milton and Susan, and they had a sister named Katharine. Milton was an avid reader, and Susan was one of the few women of the era who had a college degree, so education was important in their household. Milton served as a minister and was often out of town performing duties for the church, so Susan was the parent Orville and Wilbur became closest to. She died of tuberculosis when the brothers were in their teens and early-twenties, and Orville and Wilbur were deeply affected by her death. Orville contracted typhoid fever around the same time, and Katharine left college to care for him. After he recovered, Orville partnered with Wilbur to found a bicycle shop. They also ran a printing press together. The brothers became determined to develop an airplane that could fly successfully. They began inventing prototypes and testing them themselves, despite the danger that involved. Finally, the Wright brothers achieved flight with a craft they flew in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Dempsey explains that Orville and Wilbur filed patents for aspects of their creations and fiercely defended them. She also comments on the legacy the Wright brothers in the context of aviation history.
Referring to Dempsey, a contributor to Kirkus Reviews commented: “Her most valuable contribution to the already inexhaustible literature on the Wrights is how she manages to effectively capture the personal, day-to-day context of their ceaseless labors as well as their undying friendship.” Amanda Adams, writer in Clarion Reviews, asserted: “Language use is clear and engaging. … Dempsey has a clear narrative voice that both establishes her own research and incorporates the work of others nicely.” Adams concluded: “A Tale of Two Brothers offers a fresh perspective on a fascinating historical duo.”
Joshua's Journey
Joshua’s Journey, a novel by Dempsey that was illustrated by James Melvin, begins with the novel’s title character, Joshua Jordan, recalling his long life. An African American, Joshua was fortunate to have been born free in the late-1800s. However, his parents died when he was young, forcing him to live with his uncle Levi, a worker at a plantation. Joshua began working there with him when he was just a boy. He causes an accident that gravely wounds the plantation owner’s daughter, putting his life in danger. When a healer called the Swamp Woman saves her, Joshua determines to become a healer, too. He goes through the difficult process of becoming a doctor.
A Kirkus Reviews critic suggested: “Dempsey … is a keen and ferocious storyteller. Frequent flashbacks guide readers toward the satisfying scene of Joshua’s epiphany.” The same critic concluded: “Sharp storytelling augments this novel of single-minded perseverance.” Writing in Clarion Reviews, Carol Davala remarked: “Life lessons about hard work, higher education, and never allowing anyone to diminish your dreams are brought full circle, wisely shared by the central character.” Davala also stated: “This is a well-crafted introduction to the realities of racial prejudice. Blending traditional stylings and themes of historical relevance, Joshua’s Journey strikes a chord.” Anita Lock, contributor to the US Review of Books website, commented: “Although Dempsey’s book is fiction, she incorporates historic examples of blacks who succeeded.” Lock added: “Joshua’s Journey sends a poignant and hopeful message during troubling times.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Clarion Reviews May 25, 2017, Carol Davala, “Joshua’s Journey.”
Clarion Reviews, May 22, 2017, Amanda Adams, review of A Tale of Two Brothers; The Story of the Wright Brothers; May 25, 2017, Carol Davala, review of Joshua’s Journey.
Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2017, review of A Tale of Two Brothers; September 1, 2017, review of Joshua’s Journey.
ONLINE
Foreword Reviews Online, https://www.forewordreviews.com/ (May 25, 2017), Carol Davala, review of Joshua’s Journey.
Judith A. Dempsey website, https://overcome.blog (May 24, 2018).
US Review of Books, http://www.theusreview.com/ (June 26, 2018), Anita Lock, review of Joshua’s Journey.
About
About the Website
I created this website to share my writings, as well as my journey with writing.
Hopefully, this website exposes individuals to the feats of the Wright Brother’s, the historic environment of a young black boy just after the Civil War and the life of a Down’s Syndrome daughter.
About Me
While working as an elementary school counselor Judith A. Dempsey was offered the opportunity to attend NCAT in Western North Carolina. “Everyone has a story to tell and write.” The writing bug bit her and she hasn’t stopped writing since.
QUOTED: "Dempsey ... is a keen and ferocious storyteller. Frequent flashbacks guide readers toward the satisfying scene of Joshua's epiphany."
"Sharp storytelling augments this novel of single-minded perseverance."
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Print Marked Items
Dempsey, Judith A.: JOSHUA'S
JOURNEY
Kirkus Reviews.
(Sept. 1, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Dempsey, Judith A. JOSHUA'S JOURNEY Trafford (Indie Fiction) $23.99 5, 14 ISBN: 978-1-4907-7295-0
An old man recounts his youthful struggles in this winding novel set in New Bern, North Carolina. Joshua
Jordan may be old, and though his life wasn't easy, he lived a full one. Born just after the Civil War, Joshua,
who's African-American, was born a free man--the first in his family. After his parents died of cholera, his
uncle Levi took him in. Levi works for a surly plantation owner, Captain Bigly, and when 12-year-old
Joshua rushes through a job on the plantation, resulting in an accident that leaves Captain Bigley's daughter,
Melinda Mae, in a coma. Joshua goes looking for the Swamp Woman, a local healer, who eventually heals
the girl. Seeing the power of the Swamp Woman, Joshua wants to treat patients, too, but he soon finds that
the road to becoming a doctor is much harder than he thought. His education is subpar, he doesn't have
money, benefactors abandon him, he faces extreme discrimination, and yet...Joshua still works toward his
ultimate goal of practicing medicine. Old Joshua soon realizes that his life isn't over--there is still another
chapter (or even two!) to come. Dempsey (The Butterfly, 2017, etc.) is a keen and ferocious storyteller.
Frequent flashbacks guide readers toward the satisfying scene of Joshua's epiphany. The prose is lush and
fulfilling: "I missed my own country, flat and sandy, but filled with pines, magnolias, cypress and live oaks
hung with moss. I missed the fields covered with cotton plants, plump with the snow-white puffs of cotton
waiting to be picked." As Joshua recounts his past, it motivates him to encourage youngsters to realize their
own purposes. Readers may feel similarly inspired. Though the included illustrations aren't needed, they
add texture. Sharp storytelling augments this novel of single-minded perseverance.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Dempsey, Judith A.: JOSHUA'S JOURNEY." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Sept. 2017. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A502192015/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=d6ad25c6.
Accessed 17 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A502192015
QUOTED: "Her most valuable contribution to the already inexhaustible literature on the Wrights is how she manages to effectively capture the personal, day-to-day context of their ceaseless labors as well as their undying friendship."
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Dempsey, Judith E.: A TALE OF TWO
BROTHERS
Kirkus Reviews.
(Aug. 1, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Dempsey, Judith E. A TALE OF TWO BROTHERS Trafford (Indie Nonfiction) $18.95 6, 2 ISBN: 978-1-
4120-0146-5
An offbeat account of the lives of Orville and Wilbur Wright, the first men to achieve flight. The story of
the Wright brothers' engineering triumph is a familiar one that many authors have covered from many
different angles. But debut author Dempsey attempts to stake out new historical ground by offering an
account of their family's support, their intellectual influences, and their emotional struggles. She tells of
how, at an early age, both Wright brothers displayed intellectual precociousness and how their parents
encouraged them. Their father, Milton, was a minister and an enthusiastic bibliophile, and Susan, their
mother, was college-educated, a rarity for women in the late 1800s. Since Milton traveled frequently for
church business, Susan largely ran the household, and her bond with the boys was strong; her death from
tuberculosis in 1889 was devastating to them. Dempsey points out that they also had a close relationship
with their sister, Katharine, who postponed a semester at Ohio's Oberlin College to nurse Orville back to
health when he suffered a bout of typhoid fever. Although the brothers were always busily employed, either
with their printing business, their bicycle shop, or their obsession with inventing the first true airplane, they
were still deeply involved in family affairs, the author says; for example, Wilbur even helped his father
navigate some intramural church controversies. Dempsey unquestionably traverses some well-trodden
ground in this biography when dealing with the brothers' trial-and-error inventing as well as their dogged
defense of patents in the aftermath of success. But her most valuable contribution to the already
inexhaustible literature on the Wrights is how she manages to effectively capture the personal, day-to-day
context of their ceaseless labors as well as their undying friendship with each other. Also, she effectively
reveals how Katharine was truly a central figure in their lives as well as a fascinating person in her own
right--she was both a teacher and an active participant in the women's rights movement. A sensitive
portrayal of a side of the Wright brothers that's too often neglected.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Dempsey, Judith E.: A TALE OF TWO BROTHERS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2017. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A499572411/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=f0b596de.
Accessed 17 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A499572411
QUOTED: "Life lessons about hard work, higher education, and never allowing anyone to diminish your dreams are brought full circle, wisely shared by the central character."
"This is a well-crafted introduction to the realities of racial prejudice. Blending
traditional stylings and themes of historical relevance, Joshua's Journey strikes a chord."
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Joshua's Journey
Carol Davala
Clarion Reviews.
(May 25, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 ForeWord
https://www.forewordmagazine.net/clarion/reviews.aspx
Full Text:
Judith A. Dempsey; JOSHUA'S JOURNEY; Trafford (Children's: Juvenile Fiction) 13.99 ISBN:
9781490772936
Byline: Carol Davala
This is a well-crafted introduction to the realities of racial prejudice.
Judith Dempsey's powerful and inspiring Joshua's Journey chronicles the life of a young black boy born at
the end of the Civil War. He learns the value of freedom and the importance of education while dealing with
prejudice in the segregated South.
Joshua Jordan is a twelve-year-old living and working with his aunt and uncle on a North Carolina
plantation. When an unforeseen accident causes serious injury to the plantation owner's daughter, Joshua
meets the challenge of tracking down a reclusive Native American healer who will hopefully provide the
decoctions necessary to restore the girl's health. This event is the impetus for Joshua's own journey to
become a doctor. Amid the positive influence of benefactors and career mentors, family and friends, he
experiences racial injustices and learns important life lessons along the path to achieving his dreams.
Dempsey creatively reveals the story through the engaging reminiscences and flashbacks of an elderly
Doctor Joshua Jordan. The narrative is propelled forward by the concerned questions of Joshua's daughter
and the inquisitive nature of his twin grandsons, who always seem anxious to hear about his life
experiences.
Transitions are smooth between the past and present as Dempsey's artful and descriptive writing draws
immediate attention to the charms of the old South. Dempsey's choice dialogue suggests an authenticity of
Southern dialect; language and phrasing reflect an era where individuals were labeled as "colored" and
"negro." The sole incidence of the inflammatory "N" word is spoken by a drunk and deranged character.
While the narrative showcases Joshua as the first member of his family born beyond the shackles of slavery,
Dempsey brings the authenticity of that freedom into question. Ultimately, the emphasis is on liberty and
opportunity through education, but racial inequality is pointedly detailed at the same time.
In the story, separate entrances for black people, lower-level seating and sleeping quarters aboard public
transport, and the noted intolerance of the KKK are all present, capturing the derogatory mentality of the
era. There is also fuel for hope in Joshua's reflection that "someday things are gonna' change."
While this is a fictional work geared toward a younger audience, Dempsey heightens the factual dimension
with references to historical black figures, as well as to renowned educational institutions that provided an
opportunity for higher learning. Chapters are filled with the idea of knowledge passing down from one
generation to the next.
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Life lessons about hard work, higher education, and never allowing anyone to diminish your dreams are
brought full circle, wisely shared by the central character. James Melvin's simple black-and-white
illustrations lend an old-fashioned feel to the book while providing a subtle highlight to the narrative's key
events.
For juvenile readers, this is a well-crafted introduction to the realities of racial prejudice. Blending
traditional stylings and themes of historical relevance, Joshua's Journey strikes a chord.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Davala, Carol. "Joshua's Journey." Clarion Reviews, 25 May 2017. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A493314214/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=88a0cf0c.
Accessed 17 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A493314214
QUOTED: "Language use is clear and engaging. ... Dempsey has a clear narrative voice that both establishes her own research and incorporates the work of others nicely."
"A Tale of Two Brothers offers a fresh perspective on a fascinating historical duo."
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A Tale of Two Brothers; The Story of the
Wright Brothers
Amanda Adams
Clarion Reviews.
(May 22, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 ForeWord
https://www.forewordmagazine.net/clarion/reviews.aspx
Full Text:
Judith E. Dempsey; A TALE OF TWO BROTHERS; Trafford (Nonfiction: History) 18.95 ISBN:
9781412001465
Byline: Amanda Adams
A Tale of Two Brothers offers a fresh perspective on a fascinating historical duo.
A Tale of Two Brothers: The Story of the Wright Brothers by Judith A. Dempsey humanizes the celebrated
pioneers of aviation.
In thirty-four chapters, the text meticulously chronicles the Wright brothers' journey. Familiar historical
highlights are covered, from their time working in a bicycle shop to their momentous initial flight in Kitty
Hawk, North Carolina. The great credit of A Tale of Two Brothers, however, is its presentation of lesserknown
facts about Orville and Wilbur, from their close relationship with their parents to what happened
after their extraordinary flight.
The work is entertaining and highly informative. A great deal of space goes to the trials and tribulations of
the brothers' aviation endeavor, with Dempsey cataloging the many different manifestations of machinery
and equipment that were required to reach their brief initial flight.
In the work, Orville and Wilbur's aviation work makes way for the stunning flight innovations created since
their feat. This includes the incredible progression of aircraft, including carriers used in space travel.
Focusing on the brothers' growing legacy in this way provides a holistic approach to learning about aviation
that makes the text that much more dynamic.
A host of sources are cited, including the writings of Orville and Wilbur themselves and of prominent
scholars in historical aviation. Though some of the sources quoted are already quite comprehensive
accounts of the Wrights' lives, Dempsey manages to carve out a new niche, arranging details and
humanizing the brothers in a fresh way.
Language use is clear and engaging. Exposition happens quickly and never focuses on one detail for too
long, keeping the text from becoming stale or repetitive. Dempsey has a clear narrative voice that both
establishes her own research and incorporates the work of others nicely.
Images used throughout the book also help with contextualization. Prominent figures from the brothers'
lives appear, from their mother early in the text to the journalists who helped publicize their flight much
later. Photos of the series of gliders and flight machinery that Orville and Wilbur created before their first
successful aircraft are also included; they prove immensely helpful in understanding how dedicated both
brothers were to aviation.
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An appealing cover features the stunning Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kitty Hawk, flanked by
pictures of the brothers and their first powered aircraft. The book's font is too small and cramped, making
the work difficult to read.
A Tale of Two Brothers offers a fresh perspective on a fascinating historical duo.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Adams, Amanda. "A Tale of Two Brothers; The Story of the Wright Brothers." Clarion Reviews, 22 May
2017. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A493314202/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=d6b76770. Accessed 17 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A493314202
QUOTED: "Although Dempsey's book is fiction, she incorporates historic examples of blacks who succeeded."
"Joshua's Journey sends a poignant and hopeful message during troubling times."
Joshua's Journey
by Judith A. Dempsey
Trafford
book review by Anita Lock
"Many seeds have been planted, but we still have to reap the harvest."
Seventy-year-old Joshua Jordan thinks back to the many events that compelled him to pursue his dream of becoming a healer. Sharing his poignant stories with his daughter and his twin grandsons, Joshua begins with the event that gets his life journey rolling: the miraculous healing of Melinda Mae, the daughter of Joshua's plantation owner. Although constantly facing the ill effects of racism, Joshua overcomes obstacles with the help of caring people—both black and white—who help him achieve his goal of becoming a country doctor. Remembering his benefactors, Joshua knows that it is his turn to encourage the next generation to persevere amid ongoing battles over inequality and injustice.
Dempsey pens a story of optimism in the midst of dismal circumstances. Alternating between the end of the Civil War and the 1930s, Dempsey takes readers back to a time when educational opportunities for African Americans were few or nil. Balancing themes of good and evil, Dempsey highlights the plight of blacks caught in the snares of white supremacy. In these bleak environs, Dempsey demonstrates the positive effect that comes from people who recognize that "peace between individuals" is possible "when people are willing to compromise and support each other."
Although Dempsey's book is fiction, she incorporates historic examples of blacks who succeeded because of the goodwill of others, such as Benjamin Banneker and Frederick Douglass. Dempsey's fictional narrative also chronicles places pertinent to black history, such as St. Augustine's School and Leonard Medical Center (North Carolina) and Hampton Institute (Virginia), to name a few. Joshua's Journey sends a poignant and hopeful message during troubling times.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review
JOSHUA'S JOURNEY
Judith A. Dempsey
Trafford (May 14, 2016)
Softcover $13.99 (158pp)
978-1-4907-7293-6
Clarion Rating: 4 out of 5
This is a well-crafted introduction to the realities of racial prejudice.
Judith Dempsey’s powerful and inspiring Joshua’s Journey chronicles the life of a young black boy born at the end of the Civil War. He learns the value of freedom and the importance of education while dealing with prejudice in the segregated South.
Joshua Jordan is a twelve-year-old living and working with his aunt and uncle on a North Carolina plantation. When an unforeseen accident causes serious injury to the plantation owner’s daughter, Joshua meets the challenge of tracking down a reclusive Native American healer who will hopefully provide the decoctions necessary to restore the girl’s health. This event is the impetus for Joshua’s own journey to become a doctor. Amid the positive influence of benefactors and career mentors, family and friends, he experiences racial injustices and learns important life lessons along the path to achieving his dreams.
Dempsey creatively reveals the story through the engaging reminiscences and flashbacks of an elderly Doctor Joshua Jordan. The narrative is propelled forward by the concerned questions of Joshua’s daughter and the inquisitive nature of his twin grandsons, who always seem anxious to hear about his life experiences.
Transitions are smooth between the past and present as Dempsey’s artful and descriptive writing draws immediate attention to the charms of the old South. Dempsey’s choice dialogue suggests an authenticity of Southern dialect; language and phrasing reflect an era where individuals were labeled as “colored” and “negro.” The sole incidence of the inflammatory “N” word is spoken by a drunk and deranged character.
While the narrative showcases Joshua as the first member of his family born beyond the shackles of slavery, Dempsey brings the authenticity of that freedom into question. Ultimately, the emphasis is on liberty and opportunity through education, but racial inequality is pointedly detailed at the same time.
In the story, separate entrances for black people, lower-level seating and sleeping quarters aboard public transport, and the noted intolerance of the KKK are all present, capturing the derogatory mentality of the era. There is also fuel for hope in Joshua’s reflection that “someday things are gonna’ change.”
While this is a fictional work geared toward a younger audience, Dempsey heightens the factual dimension with references to historical black figures, as well as to renowned educational institutions that provided an opportunity for higher learning. Chapters are filled with the idea of knowledge passing down from one generation to the next.
Life lessons about hard work, higher education, and never allowing anyone to diminish your dreams are brought full circle, wisely shared by the central character. James Melvin’s simple black-and-white illustrations lend an old-fashioned feel to the book while providing a subtle highlight to the narrative’s key events.
For juvenile readers, this is a well-crafted introduction to the realities of racial prejudice. Blending traditional stylings and themes of historical relevance, Joshua’s Journey strikes a chord.
Reviewed by Carol Davala
May 25, 2017