I’m Marichele Bell. I know, you’re thinking Marichele Bell? Yep, that’s a real name and it belongs to me. Prior to getting married, I was Marichele Scrutchins. But you can call me Mari, everyone else does. I’m a sales manager by day and a writer by night. If you consider funeral announcements, editing friends and family’s writing assignments, and cleaning up resumes writing, then I’m your girl. Seriously, from the age of maybe 11, I can remember being told by someone “you can write”. The complements came from a variety of reputable sources, starting with my Mom. Who’s more reputable than her. That’s a rhetorical question. Over time, others, i.e. professors, employers, friends, and more family would on occasion make the same comment. One of my first memories is from my fifth grade teacher Mrs. Moey. I remember her quite well. She was tall, wore cat glasses, had black girl hips (like me), and very tall stiff blond hair, straight up and down. The kind of hair that dared not to move or it just might have toppled her over. I do believe she kept cans of Aqua Net on standby. Any hoo, one of our class assignments was to write a short story. I chose purple bubble gum as my subject. I can’t remember whether it was Bubble Yum, Bubblicious, or Double Bubble, but it was bubble gum and it was purple. That simple short story drew laughs from her and my fellow 11 year old comrades. I remember being surprised by their reaction and laughter. It was only a few paragraphs, but hey, who am I to dismiss my super hero comical talents. From there, I received more compliments by others; I just never took them that seriously. Flash forward years later, I sat down with my Mom and my Aunt and listened while they shared memories of their childhood. I couldn’t believe some, well, most of the stuff I was hearing. The community they grew up in held secrets, shame, and humor, so much humor. I was captivated. They were beyond entertaining. I couldn’t stop asking questions, but more importantly, I couldn’t stop laughing. Thankfully, those two planted the seed for The Quarters. Here it is over 20 years later and finally I was compelled to write this book. It’s in memory of my Grandmomma, Mrs. Louise Scott who was one of the funniest ladies I’ve ever known. It is also a tribute to my Mom, Pearline Scrutchins. She is not only hilarious in her own right, but smart, loving, and just a wonderful mother. I surely can’t leave out my aunts and uncles. Some of the funnies in The Quarters, came directly from them. And finally the real people of the Quarters. Most of them have passed away now, but they left such a rich impression on me. My hopes are that this book will carry their humor, kindness, and love for generations.

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