I lovingly, fondly, affectionately, and respectfully dedicate Y E S . . . my 1st Book of Poetry to my Mother and to my Father, Mario Hilton Penick. Of all the stars in the Universe of God’s creations, my Mother and Father are at the pinnacle of the brightest shining stars. I cannot imagine anyone more deserving of praise and a justified sleep than my parents who stood by me through thick and through thin, nor my outstanding group of 4 Film Editors who taught me much of what I needed in order to begin my illustrious career in the swarming sea of life of the motion picture business in the United States. I worked with 4 Academy Award Winners in the Film Editing profession on multiple assignments: Henry Berman, Ralph E. Winters, Michael Kahn, and Evan Lottman. I was fortunate to have known them as they were quite blessed to have known me. An abundance of blessings continues to cascade on me and around me as the years roll by. The enviable opportunity to work on a Paddy Chayefsky, Ken Russell of England picture, Altered States, was superseded by highly enjoyable moments spent in the company of Gordon Parks, Sr. on Leadbelly for Paramount Pictures, and the aptly named cult classic masterpiece, The Spook Who Sat by the Door, directed by the warm welcoming genius of Ivan Dixon. Life could not get much better than that, one would think. However, the years continue to roll aces and diamonds as I experience even greater satisfactions, from time to time, as an English tutor of adorable South Korean elementary, high school, and college students as a Saturday Book Discussion Leader. The names of Estee, Eun Hye, Ha Yeon, Joo Young, Jenny, Johnny of South Pasadena, as well as all of the other eager students will always remain with me as the moments of yesterday turn into the signposts of today, smoothly segueing into the milestones of tomorrow via the International Performing Arts Academy, founded by the legendary pianist Yeon Chang. Consequently, I have no choice but to say it simply, loudly, firmly, and clearly. My objective is to win the Pulitzer Prize in Letters: Poetry for the year 2012. My plan is to win the Nobel Prize in Literature for 4 straight years starting from 2012-2015.

Thomas Penick's Review:

Thom, I'm surprised on many levels. First, you did what said you would do and that was to publish by the end of the year. You are a man of many gifts. To do what you did in that time span takes a prodigious amount of talent and concentration. You put together a collection of unique works that are mostly biographical that presents a portrait of you and your family and all who are close to you. They are all original pieces that are rich and revealing. They make for good reading and the book should be in everyone's library. Best, Charles Burnett