McKinney's book shares poetry, essays of the human experience

Jul. 21—The Rev. Ricky R. McKinney Sr. has been pastoring in the area for more than three decades and recently wrote and published a book in which readers may see themselves.

In a recent interview, McKinney said "The Potter's Road" is a dynamic collection of poetry and essays that illuminate the shared arc of the human experience.

"The book reveals an intimate conversation between a variety of poems that draw upon the universally shared dramas, struggles, joys and triumphs of life," he said. "Everyone travels the Potter's Road daily, navigating the twists and turns of the journey. Somewhere, within the pages, every reader will see themselves."

"The Potter's Road" debuted in late June, and McKinney is excited to share it with readers.

"I've always been a poet and a writer, but now my most recent love was to author a book," he said.

A native of Pittsboro, he was raised in Buffalo, New York, and met his wife, Marilyn, in Sanford in 1981.

"Being a native Pittsborian, I feel like my roots are in Lee County, because I've been here longer," he said. "Here's what I subscribe to as a parent — I've always been a public-type guy and let the light shine before my children that we might leave a good footprint in the Lee County soul."

McKinney describes The Potter's Road as "a book of poetry for the road of life."

"It's non-fiction — it tells a story from the poems, but then I go further by following the poetry with an exposé that explains the things that you don't see in there," he said. "That's what engages the reader. You come below that and then check out what's really there.

McKinney shared an example using his poem "Life in Red."

" 'Life in Red' in and of itself probably doesn't speak to you," he said. "As soon as you start reading the poem, you know that he's talking about the word that came out of Jesus' mouth — the way to live. Then it goes on to tell you why that's important to me. You'll find yourself saying, 'Agree — I get it!' "

"The Potter's Road" comes from an intimate place that connects with every reader — somewhere, within the pages, you will see yourself, he said.

McKinney writes conversationally so that readers can share in the esteemed practice of dialogue. The book encourages each reader to go deep into thought through "read-sharing," where they are able to share in the rich, cultural amalgam that reflects everyone. Mind to mind ... reading is a beautiful thing.

McKinney said the book has a complete spirituality to it that he wants always to be present.

"The poems are the star of this book," he said. "What I want to do is convey is to inspire people. I wrote this book at 60 years old. I want to inspire people to tell their story. Maya Angelou says one of the worst things you can do is have a story inside of you that never gets told. One of her quotes is 'People may not remember what you did, but they will remember how you made them feel.' I believe that."

You can purchase the book on his website, along with other items, https://rickyrmckinney.com/shop and on Amazon and Barnes & Noble's websites.