Music, scriptures, and mature themes take center stage in the pages of Mark Anthony Thomas' second book project, "The Poetic Repercussion." The 25-year-old Atlanta resident and community affairs professional — who works with many non-profit and community organizations — describes his project as a "poetic and musical narrative."

Narrating through the fundamental and elemental instruments of culture, Thomas invites us on a venture through a multitude of interlinking themes. These themes include reflecting on his diverse college experiences, addressing the social realities of love, relationships and sexuality, hip hop music's influence on American culture, and the costs of warfare and terrorism.

"The process of writing 'Repercussion' was difficult because of the nature of the issues addressed," he said. "The initial theme of this project was to write a narrative of humanized and emotional works, but during the writing process, the depth of the issues affected me more than I realized it would."

"The Poetic Repercussion" will be nationally released on Thursday, December 2nd. The book blends traditional and cross-cultural literary styles with contemporary works of poetry, prose, spoken word, and music. Thomas, who has been featured by National Public Radio, NBC 11-Alive, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Time Magazine, and honored by the Southeastern Journalism Conference, describes this project as his "greatest achievement ever."

"Publicly, I've fully focused on developing a thriving professional career," he added. "However, behind the scenes I've been in the trenches studying and writing literature and musical forms to improve my craft."

Since graduating from the University of Georgia (UGA) in 2001, the Academy of American Poets member has worked on community initiatives with the Federal Reserve System, National Center for Black Philanthropy, Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Helping Teens Succeed, Inc. Thomas chaired the planning for the Southern Regional Council's commemoration of "Brown v. Board of Education" in April 2004, and serves on the leadership team of the Southeastern U.S. Region of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., which named him their 2001 Brother of the Year. In 1999, he became the first African American editor-in-chief for UGA's independent student newspaper, The Red & Black and now works for Georgia-Pacific Corporation as a communications and community affairs professional.

The Poetic Repercussion
By Mark Anthony Thomas
Publisher: Rings of Jupiter
ISBN: 0970364911