Marcee Winthrop just wants to smile again.
But Winthrop's constant struggle against poverty has changed nearly every aspect of her life, including her smile.
"I used to smile so much people called me 'Smiley,'" Winthrop said as one of her last remaining teeth wiggled from the inside of her mouth like an autumn leaf waiting to fall from a branch. "I used to have a beautiful smile."
Dressed in a vibrantly colored floral-print blouse, Winthrop, 54, said she's lived in poverty for two decades following a string of poorly selected husbands and an inability to find a job, a problem that Winthrop said stems from her appearance.
But that's all about to change.
Winthrop published "Poverty Revolution Part One: Skimming the Surface" in May as part of her New Year's Resolution to her daughter, Maralisa, to get out of poverty before the end of the year.
Since its publication, the book has sold more than 50 copies at about $20 a piece, and Winthrop said she's on her way to keeping her promise to her daughter.
"We can see the light at the end of the tunnel," Winthrop said. "We're just not there yet."
As a result of her first book's success, Winthrop plans to write at least five more in a "Poverty Revolution" series.
The second of the series, "Poverty Revolution Part Two: In The Depths," is already in the works and should be published just in time for Christmas, she said.
The actual publishing date of Winthrop's second book may vary depending on if Winthrop's first book makes enough money by then.
"This one's going to have what I call 'the classic bag [lady] blues,'" Winthrop said of "Part Two." "I want people to be faced with the reality [of poverty]. People shouldn't be lied to. I think they've been lied to enough."
Winthrop said her sequel will contain poetry and commentary, putting an emphasis on the harsh realities of poverty.
"Book One puts food on our tables, pays our rent, keeps the electric on and there's not much left after that," Winthrop, who is adamantly opposed to entering the "Band-Aid cycle" of Welfare, said. "I think we may just get over the edge, we might just hit middle class," she added about "Part Two."
Winthrop said she began writing for her second book, which will include about 12 poems and commentaries, last week and has written three poems already.
"I want the books to be short so people will actually read them," she said.
Winthrop, whose 14-year-old daughter is president of her fan club, said that the majority of her fans are UF students, especially those who have heard her presentations.
"When I see people react positively to the books, it gives me encouragement to keep on writing these books and to get myself out of this mess," Winthrop said.
Her daughter has noticed a few changes since "Part One" was published, as well.
"She's a big role model for me now," Maralisa said. "Some people pick Hannah Montana or The Jonas Brothers. I pick my mom."
Perhaps the biggest change for Winthrop since the publishing of her first book was an offer from a local dentist to remove her nine remaining teeth for free, a procedure that would normally cost close to $2,000, according to Winthrop.
The dentist promised to then work out a payment plan with Winthrop to be fitted for dentures, which she hopes "Part Two" will be able to pay for.
"She's in the process of metamorphosis," Maralisa said. "She's turning into a beautiful butterfly."
Winthrop will be a panelist for a Poverty Housing Discussion Panel in UF's Marston Science Library on Thursday from 6:30 to 9 p.m., and a book signing will be held at Goerings Bookstore on Oct. 25 at 2 p.m.
