Read A Good Book: With Love Artists’ Letters and Illustrated Notes by Liza Kirwin and Joan Lord

Liza Kirwin and Joan Lord have produced a beautiful book showcasing the love letters and affectionate exchanges of lovers, artists, and long-time friends. Inside you will be inspired by the postcards, letters, and illustrations that the authors have carefully collected and exposed to the world at large. Letters from Frida Kahlo, Nancy Douglas, Moses Sawyer, Walter Gray and many more. Letters from parents to their children, from lovers to their beloved, and from friendships spanning grand distances are all included here.

The romance of letter-writing is captured at its best and I cannot put this book down. Every morning I crack it open and every evening I pore over details I hadn’t noticed before. The illustrations capture my imagination the most. There are drawings of men in love, of the family cat, of cows romping in the field, so many interesting illustrations it is hard to name them all here! The hand-writing is varied and beautiful, the collages from artists are entertaining, the photographs and the stories behind each couple is endearing. It has also inspired me to tuck sweet hand-written notes into my husband’s lunches and send packages to friends I rarely get to see. I can tell you that if this book doesn’t inspire you to create your own lovely letters to old friends that you must not be the type who loves old-fashioned mail. If I had the time and money I’d be buying old fashioned wax seals to stamp onto my old-fashioned letters and packages, that’s for sure.


If you enjoyed this review, I urge you to pick up a copy for yourself. It may be found at your local library or book-store, I found mine in an adorable boutique in a small town here in Florida so I’m sure other boutiques would carry it, too.

To purchase a copy of With Love Artists’ Letters and Illustrated Notes by Liza Kirwin and Joan Lord for yourself on-line, visit the link at Harper Collins to lead you to several venues available for purchase at:

http://www.harpercollins.com/books/With-Love/?isbn=9780061441509

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

Lilliput Review Open Submissions

Open year-round, Don Wentworth accepts up to 3 poems that are 10 lines or less via old-fashioned snail mail, please include your contact information on each page and include a Self-Addresses, Stamped Envelope.

*About that return envelope: Simply by submitting your poems you will receive a free issue of Lilliput Review in return regardless of whether your poems are accepted. It’s a beautiful thing, so I urge you to go for it!

Please send your poems to:

Lilliput Review
Don Wentworth, Editor
282 Main Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15201


For more details go to:

http://sites.google.com/site/lilliputreview/home

To visit the Lilliput Review blog, please visit:

http://lilliputreview.blogspot.com/


Good luck to all who submit, please drop in again tomorrow for another Read A Good Book Feature…

Poems Found by Poet Hound

https://sites.google.com/site/rhpissue45/the-note
The introduction to Issue 45 by Mr. Wisely is dedicated to his mother. This is not a poem, it’s a story about love. It’s a story you should read because it is a beautiful story.


https://sites.google.com/site/rhpissue45/robert-s-2
“Elsewhere” by Robert Scotellaro


https://sites.google.com/site/rhpissue45/luis-cuauhtemoc-berriozabal
“In the Clear Silence” by Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal


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

Excuse me while I wring this long swim out of my hair by Sarah J. Sloat

Ms. Sloat’s poetry has appeared in Barn Owl Review, The Dirty Napkin, Opium, and many others. Her collection published by Dancing Girl Press in 2011 is titled Excuse me while I wring this swim out of my hair and is filled with ethereal poems. I feel like I’m taking a walk down the lane in Autumn next to Ms. Sloat as she shares her thoughts and I am happy to share a few tantalizing poems:

Training

I’m thinking of living forever.
I think that way I might finally
get my gig straight and solve the crosswords.
I’m considering outlasting everyone
although I know I’d have a hard time
explaining not having read Ulysses
past the first chapter.
I don’t care if death smells like nutmeg.
I don’t buy the plotline on eternal rest.
By staying alive someday
I might manage to hail a taxi,
and fulfill my father’s wish
of reaching town without a red light.
I couldn’t expect to avoid anger or brooding
or to make the journey with my beasts appeased.
But I might walk vast expanses
of earth and always be beginning
and I love beginning
or could learn
to love it.

I love that living forever means conquering the small things: crosswords, no red lights at a single stretch, walking large expanses. We forget it is the little things that matter and what would living forever mean if not for the little things? I also love that despite living forever Ms. Sloat never gets past the first chapter of Ulysses, she is honest with herself and therefore endearing. This poem makes me grin ear to ear.



On Stopping to Smell Perfume on the Way Home from Work

Do you remember Ecuador?

How our luggage burst like bulbs
from the underground cave
of the baggage claim?

A wrist circled in jade.

Have you ever licked rain from your fingers?
Imagine the drops falling faster.

Biofuel. Bioether. Bioephemeral.

Have you ever peeled moss off a stone,
then pressed it against you, inside out?

Dew, nutmeg and suede.

I’ve promised to stop on the way home
to feed the neighbor’s rabbits.
They are quiet, and have such cold noses.

This poem strikes me because of its sensuality. The scent of the perfume draws memories of a foreign country, the taste of rain, the feel of moss. Even an errand at the end of the day turns into an experience of the senses that may otherwise be overlooked, that rabbits have cold noses and are quiet, an absence of a sense. This poem makes me want to hike in the woods and smell the pines, feel the needles crunching under my feet.



My Money is on Fire

Whenever I read the newspaper
I learn my money is going to hell.
It’s lubricating a chute to the furnace
every time I eat meat or sip whiskey.
Every time I wear green or live
my secret life, no matter what
innocence I’m up to,
I’m sponsoring a disease
somewhere, making
souvenirs of the populace.

My money is minted a clean
but the moment I open my purse
to buy a popsicle, it trickles out
as acid rain. I sit sunning myself
in the park while my money
is felling the redwoods, adding rage
to hurricanes. I’ll have to tell
the drunk approaching my bench
I can’t give him a red cent. Look
at us. My money has done enough.

I’m posting this poem out of self-indulgence, really. I am a finance junkie, thanks to my father. So a poem about money is always exciting to me and this one excites me. The idea that the media constantly portrays is that money to be the source of all evil, disease, and catastrophe. I love that the poet displays her guilt as she takes money out to eat meat (killing innocent wildlife), sipping whiskey (sponsoring alcoholism perhaps?) and perhaps accidentally sponsoring disease. The popsicle as acid rain is fantastic and fascinating to me, I’ll never look at a popsicle the same again. This is my favorite poem of the collection, personally.



If you enjoyed this sample of poems you may purchase a copy of Excuse me while I wring this long swim out of my hair by Sarah J. Sloat for a mere $7.00 from Dancing Girl Press at:

http://dulcetshop.ecrater.com/p/12011922/sarah-j-sloat-excuse-me-while-i


You can also visit Sarah J. Sloat’s wonderful blog at:

http://theraininmypurse.blogspot.com/


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

Blue Collar Blog

Find out what’s going on in the world of Blue Collar Review where you’ll hear about poetry, the economy, and the postal service. Good stuff to be read, check it out at:

http://bluecollarholler.blogspot.com/

Thanks for dropping in, please drop by again tomorrow for another featured poet…

After Dark by Haruki Murakami

Published in 2007 by Vintage International, Haruki Murakami’s novel, translated by Jay Rubin, is mysterious, dark, and pleasing. When you read this story, centered on two sisters Eri and Mari Asai, it is easy to understand why it has been translated into forty languages.

The story takes place in a city humming with life over the course of a long night as Eri sits out the hours in a Denny’s and is pulled unexpectedly into events outside of her typical lifestyle. As Eri encounters a world of prostitution and “love-ho’s” (hotels for couples meeting to make love) her sister Mari slumbers deep and sound in her room at home, a beautiful Sleeping Beauty who is unaware of the strange things happening around her in her bedroom.

Eri helps the “love-ho” hotel manager by translating Chinese into Japanese for a prostitute who has been attacked and learns more about the world than she bargained for. Meanwhile, Mari is mysteriously transported in her sleep into a room we first see appear on her television screen. The night’s twists and turns sprawl out from there forming a cobweb of strange happenings that will have you gripped to each page. The novel does not tie up neatly at the end as so many stories do, yet the story satisfies in a way that you cannot explain. Haruki Murakami is a master at providing strange and magical experiences without giving neat and tidy endings and that is why I enjoy reading his books.


If you enjoyed this review you will enjoy the book even more. You can purchase a copy of After Dark by Haruki Murakami at your local book-stores, or visit your local library, or purchase on-line at:

http://www.amazon.com/After-Vintage-International-Haruki-Murakami/dp/0307278735

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

Adirondack Review Open Submissions

You may send 2-5 single-spaced poems in the body of your e-mail in addition to a biography. Be sure to include your last name, date of submission and “POETRY” in the subject line when sending it to:

editors@theadirondackreview.com

For more details, go to:

http://adirondackreview.homestead.com/submissions.html

Thanks for dropping in, please stop by tomorrow for another book review…

Poems Found by Poet Hound

http://www.swinkmag.com/index.php?page=home&artID=143
“Eleven Stories Up” by Noel Capozzalo


http://adirondackreview.homestead.com/TryfonTolides.html
“All of Us Listening to the Silence” by Tryfon Tolides

Thanks for clicking in, please drop by tomorrow for more Open Submissions…

He Took A Cab by Mather Schneider

Mather Schneider was born in Peoria, Illinois and currently lives in Tucson, Arizona where the inspiration for this collection was born. The city of Tucson contracts and expands with every breath as Mr. Schneider navigates the streets and outskirts delivering a colorful array of characters to their varied destinations. I happy to share a sample of poems with you:


Service

A purple El Dorado nearly runs
me off the road
then gives me the horn and the
finger.
Fuck you, I whisper.
I’m driving my taxi
and there’s an old woman in my back seat.
I’m taking her to church
on St. Patrick’s Day morning.
She will sit in the front pew
and she will sing “Danny Boy”
at the end of the service.
I will sit in the parking lot of the church
in my taxi
and listen to her sing
out the open church doors
in the morning sun.
It’s the most important thing
in the world:
I’m driving a little old woman
in a green hat
to Our Mother of Sorrows,
and I’ve got to get her there safe.

I like the juxtaposition of the cab driver silently swearing and the old woman in a green hat going to St. Patrick’s Day service at her church. The cab driver is being respectful and the old woman is unaware as she prepares to enter the church. It’s a wonderful snapshot poem of daily life.



My Very Good Friend

He had a red plastic cup of something
in one hand and
a half sandwich in the other
and he came running up to my cab
while I was supposed to be stopped at the red light.

Shit, I said, get in.

He climbed in and spilled some of his drink
on the gray vinyl.
He looked like he was from India.

My friend, he said, good day to you.

He was slightly out of breath.

How ya doing? I said.

Can you please take me to university? he said.

Sure, I said.

I only have one problem, he said.

What’s that?

I don’t have any money, he said.

What’s that?

I don’t have any money, he said.

Get out.

Wait, he said, I have
a little money.

How much?

I have 10 dollars.

It’s 25 to the university.

Wait, he said, I think I
Might have 15 dollars.

25 to the university, I said
and pulled over on a side street to
let him out.

Tell you what, he said,
because I am tired and
because I am already here, I will
pay you 17 dollars.

Get out.

He got out and stood there.

Ok, he said through the window,
for you my friend
I think I have 20 dollars.

Jesus Christ, I said,
let’s go.

He got in again.

I’m gonna need that 20 now.

Of course my friend,
he said,
my very good friend,
of course,
I have it right here.

Can you break a hundred?

This poem made me laugh aloud, I have met more than my fair share of people like this one no matter age or race. There’s one of these guys in every crowd if you ask me and I love reading the conversation between the driver and the guy who thinks he’s slick at negotiating price only to reveal his hand at the end.



The Measly Subtraction

Cab drivers will lie about anything,
especially money.
“I made two grand last
week.”
As if this explains
the holes in their
shoes,
the fact that they can’t afford
a razor
and have breath like
a maggoty rhinoceros.
I always wonder why it is so important
to impress the rest,
when we all have
to go home alone
and count our greasy bills
and do the measly subtraction
of rent and electricity
and food and beer.
They lie and lie and the
world goes round
like godless miles through
the city
only to end up back
in the same hole.
We all want to be respected
even by those we no not respect
and even those who nobody respects
want the same thing and
feel the same pull,
the same question
of the self:
what will
my brother
think?

I like that this poem brings up that common truth of wanting to be acknowledged, respected, and the typical human nature of trying to impress others even if there is nothing to impress with. It takes the human struggle and places it in the cab driver’s perspective yet anyone can relate to this poem, everyone knows someone who tries so hard to impress others and fails. The truth is in the details here, the holes in the shoes, the unshaven faces, the same cluster of people all going home to struggle on their own yet still wanting to outshine each other in some way, even a small way. I like this poem.



If you enjoyed this sample of poems, you can snag a copy of this book you can pick up a copy of He Took A Cab by Mather Schneider yourself for $14.95 at:

http://www.spdbooks.org/Producte/9781935520214/he-took-a-cab.aspx?rf=1

or at:

http://www.amazon.com/He-Took-Cab-Mather-Schneider/dp/1935520210/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315780135&sr=1-3


To learn more about Mr. Schneider, you can visit his blog a:

http://matherschneider.blogspot.com/


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

Small Fires Press

While I haven’t had the opportunity to purchase and read books at the site, the samples of what they produce are beautiful! I urge you to check out the matchbook sized poetry collections and beautiful chapbooks at:

http://smallfirespress.com/

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

Ran out of time

Hello everyone, I had an unusually busy weekend so I ran out of time for today’s post. However, we will be back to our regular schedule next week so please stop by again…

Blue Collar Review Open Submissions

Open year-round to submissions, which is a wonderful thing if you ask me, you can submit up to five poems via snail mail. Include a cover letter with your biographical information and make sure each page/poem has your contact information included. Send your poems along with a Self-Addressed-Stamped Envelope to:

Blue Collar Review
P.O. Box 11417
Norfolk, VA 23517

Make sure to check out some sample poems, and a sample issue if possible, before sending poems their way. You can learn more about the poems they accept and their guidelines by going to:

http://www.angelfire.com/va/bcr/

Good luck to all who submit, please drop in again…

Poems Found by Poet Hound

http://steeltoereview.com/2011/09/12/intolerable-end-by-john-douglas/
“Intolerable End” by John Douglas

http://www.poolpoetry.com/poetone.html
“What The Director Said” by Jeanne Marie Beaumont

Thanks for clicking in, please drop by tomorrow for more Open Submissions…

Light Sweet Crude by Cynthia Barouinis and Claire Leeds

Published by Dancing Girl Press, Cynthia Bourinis and Claire Leeds come together to bounce poems off of one another on the subject of oil, creating a collection titled Light Sweet Crude. The result is an enlightening and scientific take on oil and its dwindling sources. Ms. Barouinis is working on her PhD in English at the University of Illinois at Chicago and her work has appeared in Poetry, Salzburg Review and in a future anthology from Partner Dance Press. Ms. Leeds lives and works on a farm in southern Wisconsin and holds a BA degree in Creative Writing while currently working towards a BS in Nursing.

While you may initially think a subject about oil might be boring or come off as boring or preachy, these poets make the subject dynamic, appealing, and intellectually gratifying. Below I am happy to share some sample poems to pique your interest:



Nesting

I have seen the collapse
of a rabbit’s nest in the short lawn grass.
There. The dog is tied to a stake
driven, invisible, into the ground.
She’s on a long line with a far reach.

I heard the past in a newscast—pirates
commandeer an oil tanker. Before
she was seized, her intrepid captian
peered through his telescope backwards—
thought the horizon held a distant threat.

I have found harbor in haunting:
a bell curve, the end of our plateau.
So, bar-prophet, business-man, a friend
of a friend of a friend—show me the peak
over the slick rim of your drink.
I’d like to meet our geology of decline.

I like that this poem takes every-day tragedy such as a rabbit’s nest in the grass in danger by the dog on the leash and expands it outwards to the oil tanker held by pirates. The poets even mention “thought the horizon held a distant threat.” In other words, what may seem a far and distant disaster is actually closer than you can imagine and at the end, the poet asks for more detail, more information. The poems in this collection continue on with more detail, just enough to make you want to look up even more information for yourself.



Because the Poem is a Limited Resource

I’ll ration stanzas like canned
meat during wartime; exhaust

verse to vapor, fume enough to keep
this engine plotting A to B, B to C,
C to D, origin to peak; nothing

metaphoric about our destination
but what propels us toward it
is the chemistry of conversion:

a stake drilled into the lawn distills
into the anchor of a compass;

leashed dog orbits like graphite,
carves with her body the edge
of a perfect circle,

a flattened globe, the rounded lip
of a glass from above;
the memory of scotch on my breath;

when this fuel runs out, I won’t drive
home, but bury my keys in the earth
and wait to see what grows there.

First of all, who wouldn’t want to read the poem after reading its title? Second, they are able to relate rationing stanzas to rationing oil, very clever yes? Since these poets are bouncing ideas off of each other we see the repetition of the dog on the long leash tied to the orbits of graphite which is part of the rock broken up to get to the oil. I love the idea of burying keys in the earth after the oil needed to drive is gone and to see what grows instead. I picture roads grown over with grass and tree roots breaking up the asphalt, what do you see?


If you enjoyed this short sample of poems as much as I have enjoyed the entire collection you can snag a copy of Light Sweet Crude by Cynthia Bourinis and Claire Leeds for a mere $7.00 from Dancing Girl Press at:

http://dulcetshop.ecrater.com/p/11547989/cynthia-barounis-claire-leeds-light

Thanks always for reading, please click in again tomorrow…

Smartish Pace Site

Wonderful place to find poetry news, read interviews with poets, book reviews, and so on! Check it out at:

http://www.smartishpace.com/

Thanks for clicking in, please drop by again tomorrow for a featured poetry collection…