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A Rising Poet
Darren Barnard Rankins was born to James William and Barbara E. Rankins on September 24, 1966 in Rutherford County, Tennessee. He is the sixth child of seven children. He has one sister, Maxine, and five brothers: James, Kerry, Kevin, Felix, and Vernon.
Darren resides in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. In addition to working full-time, he has four wonderful children which he loves very much: Joshua, Michael, Ashley, and Amy. Some of his greatest learning experiences have came from his young children.
Darren is a very talented poet. He began his writing career in sixth grade. He really became excited about poetry when the MTSU Honors Program Director, John Paul Montgomery suggested that Darren take part in the 1994 MTSU Poetry Slam. This was his first opportunity to share his poetry with other writers in an informal setting. He began to submit his poems to publishers and found satisfaction in seeing his work in print. He has since had publications in several magazines and newspapers.
Darren began feeling that writing Christian poetry was a calling that God had for him to do. He wanted to find a way to make an even bigger impact with his poems, so he changed from writing as a hobby to starting his own business. He called his new business Pure Thoughts and things moved to a new level in 1995. This gave him an avenue to distribute the items he had begun to make.
Darren expanded his talents to include designing plaques and Christian T-shirts. His plaques are beautifully made from wood and then laquered to a shiny finish. Darren's biggest items are his several original screenprinted t-shirt designs. He writes an appropriate poem and then designs graphics that illustrate the meaning he wants to convey. Many of his T-shirts also contain Bible scriptures to emphasize the importance of his poems.
Even though it is important for Darren to earn money to support his family, he also tries to find good causes to support. He has sold or donated over 5,000 T-shirts worldwide. Darren has a strong conviction that he can make a difference in people's lives by helping them to hear the word of God. He has struggled through hardships in his own life that have given him the strength and empathy to be sensitive to the needs of other around him
What are Darren's plans for the future? He will continue to write poetry to spread the word of God to others. As his name becomes more recognized, he hopes to expand his business as well. He continues to design t-shirts and loves to find new ways to share his designs with the community. Pure Thoughts Books will be on itunes starting in July