The Last Storyteller by Frank Delaney

Imagine spending an evening at an intimate dinner party where the food and the company are so magnificent that when you return home for the evening all you can do is slip off your shoes, find the nearest chair and sit staring into space mouthing to yourself the various parts of the evening and conversation that struck you at your core. That’s what this book has done for me.

Frank Delaney was born in Tipperary, Ireland and has been a BBC Broadcaster, a former judge of the Booker Prize, and has published several novels that are part of a series that concludes here in his latest novel, The Last Storyteller. Frank Delaney currently resides in Connecticut and New York, and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and his own web-site where he also provides a regular podcast about James Joyce’s Ulysses.

The Last Storyteller is the final conclusion of the main character, Ben MacCarthy’s, life. The first two novels, Venetia Kelly’s Traveling Show and The Matchmaker of Kenmare introduce you to Ben MacCarthy and the love of his life, Venetia Kelly. I have not yet read these two preceding novels but certainly will be hunting them up now that I’ve had the great fortune of reading its third which can stand alone, but has made me thirsty for more.
Ben MacCarthy’s life in 1956 is tumultuous. As he collects stories for the Folklore Commission, he encounters less than savory characters along the way and is swept unexpectedly into the rising tide of violence sweeping Ireland at this time. In addition, the love of his life has returned from the United States as part of a traveling show titled, “Gentleman Jack and his Friend,” which is of course headed by no such gentleman at all: Jack Stirling. To further complicate Ben’s life, his twin children whom he has never met are in tow of this traveling show. Ben battles his feelings of fear and regret as he must now decide how to rescue his beloved wife, after he had abandoned his chance years ago.

Frank Delaney’s novel weaves in characters that will take your breath away, especially John Jacob O’Neill, a most wonderful storyteller and a gentleman to the core whose stories seem to predict Ben’s future each time Ben drops in for a visit. Jimmy Bermingham, a rabble-rouser, brings unwanted excitement into Ben’s otherwise sedate life on the road. Finally, Venetia Kelly’s appearances and disappearances in the novel are maddening in their enticement and brevity. Venetia is as mysterious a woman as they come, her thoughts veiled from the audience as well as from Ben, their marriage as long and bumpy a road as you could ever anticipate and yet the tenderness and devotion through the years brings relief to the reader.
What I love most about the novel is that the main character is not presented as a neat and tidy hero that follows a steady climb upwards through difficulties. Ben advances and retreats in many battles within him and with others just as all true humans do. He is doggedly stubborn in the worst ways, slow to move his feet towards doing the right thing, and blunders into the wrong hands when searching for help. Ben’s saving grace is his connection to the ultimate storyteller, John Jacob O’Neill, who takes him under his wing and brings order and wisdom to his life. As a result, Ben is able to bring about the desired means to his own life and finds the words to tell his own ultimate story.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Ireland, folklore, and especially those who understand the ups and downs of romance and the complications that life brings in adulthood. It is a story that makes you feel richer for having read and one I will happily read again, after I read the two preceding novels.
If you enjoyed this review (and I truly do not feel I can do this book enough justice) you may find a copy at your local book-store, local library, or on-line at:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/last-storyteller-frank-delaney/1100572447?ean=9781400067855&itm=1&usri=the+last+storyteller
or at:

http://www.amazon.com/Last-Storyteller-Novel-Ireland/dp/1400067855/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0


To learn more about Frank Delaney and his work please visit his wonderful and easy-to-navigate website:
http://www.frankdelaney.com

Thanks always for reading, please drop in again next week…

Poems Found by Poet Hound

https://sites.google.com/site/48rhpissue/josh-bernstein
“mistaken identity” by Josh Bernstein

https://sites.google.com/site/48rhpissue/rose-auslander
“Postcard” by Rose Auslander

Thanks for clicking in, please drop by again Friday for Read A Good Book…

Jordan Orleans Site

Find vibrant artwork, poems, and more courtesy of Jordan Orleans at his site:

http://jordanorleans.com/

Thanks for clicking in, please drop by again Wednesday…

Poems Found by Poet Hound

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/124605
Extra Care Poems and Lyrics by Alina Cosma, this is a self-published chapbook and yes you’ll have to make a purchase, the poems range from lyrical and feminine to straightforward and free flowing.

http://juked.com/2012/01/whenallelsefails.asp
“When All Else Fails” by Joni Lee

Thanks for clicking in, please drop in again soon, no new laptop just yet as I compare prices but please continue to drop in to check on the latest posts here at Poet Hound …

Lilliput Review Issue #183

Don Wentworth delicately stitches together nature and dreaming into the gently packaged issue #183. Inside you walk the surreal landscapes of farmlands and the realistic landscapes of dreams in the night. Beautiful contrasts abound and I am happy to share with you a few poems:

How gently the rose petal falls to the ground,
keep the mind so.

We don’t want to crush the illusion
do we?

By: Charlie Mehrhoff of Oakland, ME

This poem reminds me of those rare moments out-of-doors when the breeze is gentle, the world is tame, and you have the luxurious moment of taking in the beauty of the landscape of your own yard or the local park. In reality, the world is rushing by filled with ambulance sirens and lawn mowers, but this one peaceful moment arrives and we inhale deeply, that is what this poem reminds me of.



True Dreaming

Once the body is removed
true dreaming begins
as flesh is made into feathers
pillows are stuffed with,
making nests flocking birds
cling to with rigid claws
immovable as barbed wire
fences on the edge of no
man’s land that seems so real
you can almost touch it.

By: Alan Catlin of Schenectady, NY

I love the idea that “flesh is made into feathers” in dreams, a reference to how often we are able to fly in dreams and wish we could in real life. The landscape in the dream described above makes me think of crows clinging to nests, stark, bare-bone fences stretching across fields and the “no man’s land” makes me think of wide open spaces out West. It’s a poem that lends itself to dreaming of your own landscape, letting your imagination create its own dream from the poem and I enjoy the pictures that come into my mind from it.


The Ridge

From low among the darkening oaks
a single bird call
doesn’t stop
until the glow along the mountain ridge
has disappeared.

By: David Chorlton of Phoenix, AZ

This poem is a selfish inclusion as I spent a summer living in Arizona and was immediately transported by this poem. I lived in the valley and every morning as I walked to my work at the hospital during my internship early in the morning I can recall that lone bird singing and the backdrop of the mountains and it is as beautiful as you can imagine. If you have not ever been to Phoenix, I urge you to go and experience its beauty for yourself.


There are other poems I would love to include but you need to purchase this gem, Issue #183 for yourself! Each issue is only $1.00 and worth so much more than the price. You can check out Lilliput Review’s blog and use the PayPal button to purchase the journal for yourself at:

http://lilliputreview.blogspot.com/

Thanks always for reading, please click in tomorrow for more Poems Found by Poet Hound…

The Camel Saloon Blog

Russell Streur sent me the link to this on-line blog journal that publishes poems regularly, an excellent read, too. You can also submit poems yourself so be sure to check them out at:

http://thecamelsaloon.blogspot.com/
Thanks for clicking in, please stop by tomorrow for another featured journal…

Can’t stop now! By John Yamrus

John Yamrus has been featured previously here at Poet Hound and his latest collection of poems, can’t stop now!, published by Epic Rites Press is an excellent collection. From every-day humor to every-day tragedy it is all here. I flagged so many poems to share that it will be difficult to choose just a small sample to entice readers into purchasing a copy for themselves. There are poems that made me laugh out loud, poems that made me say out loud “Isn’t that right?” In any case, John Yamrus’ writing is straightforward and to the point and I am happy to share just a few poems below:

right around the ninety minute mark
the poetry reading
got nuts.

it was one of those
blog-talk radio
things

and there were
four of us,

all on the phone
from wherever
we were,

and,
(like i said)
right around the
ninety minute
mark

the wine and beer
kicked in,

and Plath,
(still on the phone)
ran out of
smokes,

so,
he went
to a mini-market,

and,
in the lot
he sees this girl
who was kinda cute
and he starts talking to her…

“hey,
you like poetry?
i’m on the radio right now.

you wanna
hear some poems?”

and he
puts her
on the phone,

and
Carstens
starts reading,

and you can hear Plath
in the background
trying to talk her
boyfriend

out of decking him.

and
when she
hands the phone back,

Plath
says to us:

“i’m gonna grab another.”

and
he finds this
old juice-head
sitting in the lot,
and Hardung reads him
one about his junkie days,

and the old guy’s almost in tears,
when he hands back the phone,
saying:

“god bless ya,
man.

god bless
ya.”

that’s just the way
it goes.

sometimes
you’re lucky
and find the poem.

and, sometimes
it finds
you.

This poem makes me grin ear to ear. I can just picture this poet on the radio walking outside and finding random people to connect with on the air to poetry. The “juice-head” is moved to tears, blesses the poets, and the poets are indeed, blessed. To have your poem move someone, anyone, is always the ultimate goal and the scene depicted in this poem makes it fun to imagine and hope for.



he says to me

“i can’t believe
you actually
throw some poems out.”

“sure i do.
lots.”

“why
would you ever
throw a poem out?”

i looked at him and said:
“if they don’t work,
there’s no sense
in keeping them.

so,
i throw them out.”

“that’s nuts
(he says)
my words are
like gold.

i’ve slaved
every word i ever wrote.

i’d never
throw them out.

they’re covered in my
blood,

drenched in my
sweat.”

i didn’t know
how to answer that.

i couldn’t tell him
that i can’t
stand
the sight of blood,

and a long time ago
i made a promise
to myself

i’d never
ever

let them
see me
sweat.

This poem reminds me of the countless times writers volley back and forth with each other about whether to keep or toss works they are not proud of. There is also the battle within ourselves. This poem hits me personally, I tend to keep even the lousy work but I live in fear that some poor soul will stumble upon my “treasure trove” of work after I die and try to “put it out there” for the world to see and that gives me nightmares. This poem hits home.



every year

someone
sends me
an entry form
for the local
Poet Laureate competition.

unable
to throw the thing out,
but unwilling to co-operate,
i take ten minutes
and fill out the form,

sending in
the required
number of entries,

all the while
making sure
that each and every poem
is about hemorrhoids,
a hair on the tip of my nose,
bad breath
or my dog
taking a dump in the yard.

i know the poems
won’t be what they want,
but they
just might be

precisely
what they
need.

This poem makes me laugh out loud. I like the rebellious attitude of Mr. Yamrus. I am just dying to know what the people who appoint the Poet Laureate think when they see his application and his poems!

Mr. Yamrus has been publishing poems since 1970 and his work has been translated into many languages including Italian, Spanish, Japanese, and so on. He has also published two novels in addition to eighteen volumes of poetry. If you enjoyed this short sample, you may purchase a copy of can’t stop now! by John Yamrus at Epic Rites Press for $22.00 at:

http://www.epicrites.org/bookstore.html

Thanks always for reading, please drop in again soon…

Death Becomes Her

Well, folks, my laptop has finally given up the ghost. At nearly ten years old it decided to stop accessing my Word Files and the internet on exactly the same day that my husband's power cord to his laptop fell apart. We weren't able to resolve either issue until yesterday.

At the moment, my prized posts from last week are being pried free of my old laptop and onto an external hard drive compliments of the Geek Squad team at Best Buy. My husband has replaced his power cord and we now share his computer.

What does this mean for everyone? It means that posts will be rather sporadic for the next couple of weeks as I search for a new user-friendly laptop. Thanks for your patience, I have some excellent books that I can't wait to feature here on the blog and at least this interruption allows more time for reading these books more thoroughly.

In the meantime, please enjoy the sprinkling of posts over the next couple of weeks and thanks always for reading...

Exquisite Corpse Site

This site is an on-line journal worth exploring for articles, poetry, art, and so on. I urge you to check them out at:

http://corpse.org/index.php

Thanks for dropping in, please stop in tomorrow for another featured poet…

The Perfectly Imperfect Home How to Decorate & Live Well by Deborah Needleman illustrated by Virginia Johnson

For those of you who don’t know, I am obsesses with home decorating books even though I really don’t have the money to do much more than rearrange what I already have and throw in some inexpensive shelves and side tables. I lamented the day that Domino, the decorating-within-reach magazine, shut down, as I looked forward to Deborah Needleman and her crew’s expertise. In this book, The Perfectly Imperfect Home, Needleman breaks down how to turn your home into its best version of itself room by room, nook by nook.

The illustrations by Virginia Johnson are beautiful, charming, and inspired by the homes of various designers and artists and add to the eye candy of the book. The book homes in on the idea that personal touches and comfort is what makes a worthy home, not the show-house version so often portrayed in magazines where everything is perfect and there are no signs of the aftermath of small children or pets or messy spouses.

For me, it’s knowing how to arrange all my little items that tend to gather onto flat surfaces that I enjoyed learning about in the book. How to make inexpensive trays take the everyday items we enjoy and showcase them in a way that looks nicer than just having them spread out on the nightstand or coffee table. How to organize your entryway is another valuable lesson for me. How we enter our home is not only a first impression for guests but for ourselves and having places to put coats, keys, umbrellas, shoes, and mail is vital to keeping clutter at bay.

I also liked that there are allowances for “ugly” and “glam” items in the same spaces. There will always be that hideous chair or object beloved by someone else that you must create space for but it’s okay. You can also introduce something fancier, or shinier, into the same space and this book shows and tell you how.

One of my other pet peeves is how to entertain and what kind of dining room table works best in an apartment. I’m stuck with what I have for now but there is a section that explains the ideal shape for your lifestyle and space which shed much needed light on the subject for me and future dinner parties. There are also notes on the fact that you can entertain without a dining table which is just as important to me as having no dining table at all.

All the bits and pieces that make up living comfortably in your home are presented here with common sense, fun, and positive attitude. None of us are expected to go out on a shopping spree, we can simply rearrange our furniture or table top objects to better accommodate traffic flow and guests.

I have read this book beginning to end and end to beginning several times, I enjoy it so much. If you love the idea of making every day life more comfortable at home, I highly recommend this book which can be found at your local book-store, perhaps at your local library, or you may order it for $30.00 (not including s/h) on-line at:

http://www.randomhouse.com/book/205724/the-perfectly-imperfect-home-by-deborah-needleman

Thanks always for reading, please drop in again next week…

Issue #181 Lilliput Review

In this issue editor Don Wentworth gathers up rainy days, droning insects, and lonely souls into a beautiful and cathartic collection to be enjoyed on a day when you just aren’t “feeling up to it.” Below I am happy to share a short sample:


static in my head
crickets rub hind legs
in Buddha rhythm

By: A. D. Winans of San Franciso, CA

This poem reminds me of those dog days of summer where you drown out your thoughts and clear your mind while sitting on an old blanket in the grass and listen to the crickets, I miss those days.



cook, i.e.
where your thoughts meet your brainstem
where your brainstem meets the map of
forever on your back
where your forever map meets mortality

that is where i want to sleep
burrow into hide inside of hibernate within
with a box of pomegranate seeds and a bear cub
and a cherry pie with crust right out of hansel’s oven

by: Kennedy Cane

This poem makes me want to cocoon myself into blankets with the love of my life. I love the idea of sleeping where your loved one’s thoughts meet mortality/immortality, then the poet brings in the comfort food of cherry pie from the innocent hansel’s oven from the fairy tale. It is a whimsical poem that gets you thinking about what the poet is or is not truly saying.



full
moon

filling
my

cracked (old)
tea-cup

by: Ed Baker of Takoma Park, MD

I picture the poet sitting by the kitchen window at midnight as he sips hot tea, trying to ease his troubled mind. A lovely snapshot poem.


If you enjoyed this review you may purchase this little journal, Lilliput Review, for a mere $1.00 by going to Lilliput Review’s blog, Issa’s Untidy Hut at:

http://lilliputreview.blogspot.com/

Thanks always for reading, please drop in Friday for another featured Good Read…

Book Shelf Porn

Visually stunning, this is a site devoted to how people display their books either creatively or on shelves. While you may think this is unusual I urge you to take a peak because it is absolutely inspiring. I even saw a Christmas tree made entirely out of books stacked up to form the tree itself, why didn’t I think of that?
Check it out at:

http://bookshelfporn.com/

Thanks for clicking in, please stop by tomorrow for another featured poetry review…

As Always, Julia edited by Joan Reardon

As Always, Julia The Letters of Julia Child & Avis DeVoto is a collection of letters edited by Joan Reardon who took extraordinary care to present these two amazing women’s correspondence as accurately as possible in regards to timeline and clarifying names and subject mentioned throughout the correspondence. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, this collection is fascinating and endearing.

Julia Child’s initial letter to Mr. DeVoto is answered by his wife, Avis, and the two women continue back and forth on all manner of subjects from knives to recipes to politics in the McCarthy era. Avis DeVoto is able to utilize her editorial skills and connections to the publishing world to assist Julia Child as she and her colleagues create the now famous cook book: Mastering The Art of French Cooking. Julia is able to teach Avis how to create particular dishes she misses from her own travels to France and the two women trade ideas about education, social classes and more throughout the years.

For those who enjoy good food or have a fondness for Julia Child this book will not disappoint. Charming to the end, it is a wonderful read and highly recommended to anyone who loves good food and/or old fashioned letter correspondence. I love both and so I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

If you enjoyed this review you may pick up a copy at your local library, visit your local book-store or follow this link below to order a copy on-line of As Always, Julia edited by Joan Reardon at:

http://www.amazon.com/As-Always-Julia-Letters-DeVoto/dp/0547417713/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325437899&sr=1-1

Thanks always for reading, please stop in again next week…

Zygote In My Coffee Open Submissions

You may send 3-8 poems (no simultaneous submissions please) with a brief biography as well as a bio picture via e-mail. Be sure to include a subject heading of some kind similar to “Last name/Poetry Submission” and have your contact information along with your poems in the body of the e-mail and send it to:

submissionsATzygoteinmycoffeeDOTcom

To learn more about the press, go to:

http://www.zygoteinmycoffee.com/

For exact details on submission guidelines, go to:

http://www.zygoteinmycoffee.com/submissions.html


Good luck to all who submit, please stop in tomorrow for another featured good book…

Poems Found by Poet Hound

http://sites.google.com/site/larrydthomasfar/3
“#3” by Larry Thomas

https://sites.google.com/site/47rhpissue/howie-2
“Visiting Hours” by Howie Good

Thanks for clicking in, please stop in tomorrow for more Open Submissions…