Solace in So Many Words got a terrific write-up in ForeWord Reviews. Reviewer Chris Fisher called the book ”a beautiful quilt of essays, stories, and poems.” As always, my thanks goes to the contributors for letting me use their material. Here's a highlight: "There are two common threads that tie together the book's contributed pieces. First, each writer dares to bear his or her soul in an honest, sometimes brutally revealing manner. Second, the quality or artfulness of … [Read more...]
Publication date reading at Barbara’s and our latest review — reasons to celebrate
May 12 was the official publication date of Solace in So Many Words and also the date for our second reading. This was one was at Barbara's Bookstore (UIC), which has a separate performance space with great acoustics. The event, which was well-attended, started off with my short explanation of the book and how it came to be, followed by outstanding readings by: Carol Kanter who read her three poems, "Her Best Medicine," "Alternative Eulogy," and "The Advanced Course," Pat … [Read more...]
The launch was a blast!
The May 6 launch of Solace in So Many Words was great---a packed bookstore (SRO), an intent audience, and wonderful readings by nine contributors. Susan Spaeth Cherry read "Predictabilities," Barry Silesky read "Music Lesson," Kathleen Kirk read the prose poem in "Postponing a Response to the Fact of Mortality," and "Heartbreak House," D. J. Lachance read "Nagasaki Shadows," Lisa Liken read "Winter in Bosnia," Aloka Kamicheril read her father Jayant … [Read more...]
Contributors news 4-30 Meno, Bass, Somlo
Check out The Chicago Reader "Spring Books: Homages" feature articles in which five Chicago novelists write about the books and writers that inspired them. Joe Meno writes about Kurt Vonnegut and Slaughterhouse-Five in the article, “Vonnegut’s Disciple: Slaughterhouse-Five gave Joe Meno a path to The Great Perhaps.” The other articles in the series on Chicago writers are: “Finding Thomas McGuane: Luis Alberto Urrea discovered a master in beat-up paperbacks;” “A Chelsea of … [Read more...]
Other Beautiful Things by Laura Rodley
Other Beautiful Things the mist green color of melting snow the bronze yellow of hay overdone the inside pink of a primrose the white heart of a morning glory the light that beams within the caramel color of my dog’s eyes as the morning light shines through them the almost amber color of strong tea or malt whiskey the abalone shine inside a shell the amber light on the trees two evenings ago, first evening of daylight savings time, though it never saved … [Read more...]