THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 13, 1995 TAG: 9508130228
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Close Up
SOURCE: Rebecca A. Myers
LENGTH: Long : 125 lines
Had Vernon Kitabu Turner not been a loner as a child, he might have ended up in some other profession as an adult.
``Since I was always by myself, I found myself putting my thoughts down on paper,'' said Turner, a local author.
It wasn't until high school that Turner shared any of his writing with others. Teachers took an interest in his work and encouraged him to pursue writing as a career.
So as a student at Queens College in New York, Turner became an English major. By the time he was 21, he was writing professionally as a senior editor of a magazine in New York.
Turner wrote his first book, ``Kung Fu: The Master,'' in 1975 during a time when martial arts were gaining popularity.
``It was a collection of poetry that really dealt with many facets of everyday life - social, political, spiritual,'' said Turner. ``The book was named for one poem that expressed my philosophy of the martial arts.''
Turner's second and third books were combined into a novel, ``The Secret of Freedom,'' published last year by Hampton Roads Publishing Co. The 111-page paperback book has a foreword by former Virginia governor L. Douglas Wilder and an introduction by author Linda Goodman.
``The publishers call it visionary fiction,'' said Turner. ``It's a story about overcoming psychological and political bondage. It's about discovering the power that lies within yourself so that you have the courage and the strength to make changes in the world around you.''
With his fourth publication, ``Soul Sword: The Way and Mind of a Warrior,'' a non-fiction book due out in November, Turner returns to the martial arts theme.
``I've been a lifelong martial artist and in this book, I talk about the art of rekindling the survival instincts that all human beings have, but pretty much suppress at an early age,'' he said.
``In the times we live in, it's still a jungle, and we need to learn how to utilize more of that inborn equipment that we have. I use examples of the warriors of old who didn't have a lot of equipment to depend on and how they learned to cultivate their senses of awareness.''
With four books to his credit, Turner has recently set his sights on the New York Times Best Seller List.
``When I first started writing, I was very esoteric,'' he said. ``I felt that I had something to say, and I wanted to share that message. That was all-important, getting the message out.
``Now I look around me and see I'm by myself, that nearly everybody else is looking toward the best-seller list.''
Turner said his initial writings were part of a social movement, ``to make a mark, to make a difference, to make changes.''
``My looking at it as a business came much, much later in life as opposed to most of the writers that are out there now who may have approached it that way from the beginning,'' he said.
Once Turner decides on a topic for a book, he tries to write at least 10 pages daily. His latest work took about three months to write, ``but a lifetime to live,'' he said.
Turner's inspiration comes from his reaction to life and the suffering around him, he said.
``Sometimes I'm very concerned that people live on such a very superficial or materialistic level and miss the beauty that's in their fellow man. So my writing tends to deal with looking for that potential.''
Turner has already begun work on his latest project, ``Lovesong,'' a book of poetry accompanied by a musical recording.
``We're in the rehearsal stages of it now,'' said Turner. `` It's a romantic collection of poetry dealing with love and its many stages.''
Turner spent the early part of his life in Portsmouth, growing up in Ida Barbour and Mount Hermon, before moving to New York, where he finished high school and started college.
While in New York, Turner was tagged with the name Kitabu, a Swahili word for ``book.'' Turner now uses it as his middle name.
``Kitabu is a spiritual name given to me in 1967 by a mentor,'' said Turner. ``It stuck.''
Though most people think that Turner was given the name because of his love of books, he disagrees.
``When I was a child, I had already entered the spiritual way of life. I became a Christian when I was 9 years old, so the book, meaning the Bible, was a very prominent part of my life,'' said Turner.
``The Bible means `the book' also,'' he said. ``So I think it was an indication that he saw that my life was guided.''
Name: Vernon Kitabu Turner
Nickname: None
Neighborhood: Mount Hermon
Number of years in Portsmouth: Off and on over 30 years
Birthplace: Portsmouth
Birthdate: 1/27/48
Occupation: Writer/lecturer
What job other than your own would you like? None
Marital status: Married
Children: Daughter, Lakita, 13
Fondest childhood memory: Saturday wrestling matches between my father, my brother and me
First concert: James Brown, 1965, New York City
What song or book title best describes your life? ``The Rough Side of the Mountain''
If you won the lottery, what's the very first thing you'd buy? I don't gamble, but if I did and won, I'd invest in real estate.
If you could trade places for just one day with anyone in the world, who would it be and why? I would never want to. I admire many people, but I treasure being true to myself, such that it is.
Biggest accomplishment: My upcoming book, ``Soul Sword: The Way and Mind of A Warrior.'' It's my fourth.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I'd be more practical.
Perfect way to spend the day: I love spending the day with the ocean. It's an old friend. We understand each other.
I can't resist: Good music.
Favorite Portsmouth restaurant: Vic Zodda's
Favorite Portsmouth hangout: Madeline's
Biggest problem facing Portsmouth: Its economy
If you had three wishes for Portsmouth, what would they be?
An economic windfall
Unity among its cultures
A revitalization of the city's image
Other than its small-town atmosphere, what do you like about living in Portsmouth? A sense of extended family prevails. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JIM WALKER
by CNB