The jackets to my book finally came today – a little difficult to work with because they came flat and I had to bend them around the book. But I am pleased with them. A couple of positional nudges (which I’ve already made and will upload tomorrow) and I think it will be ready to go. Things have been taking longer than I’ve wanted them to – I will miss Heather’s birthday for a publication date, and probably my own as well. But I feel the timing will turn out to be just right –
I’m publishing my new book with a different service, because the one I’ve used before has changed, and besides, it only does paperbacks. I wanted this book to have a more substantial heft – not to be ponderous or imposing, but to reflect the gravitas of something that has the ability to comfort. I also wanted it to be intimate, so I designed it smaller than other books I’ve published.
The proof arrived Wednesday. I like the heft and feel of it. There were certain disappointments; it came without its jacket and there are some things on the cover and inside that I need to nudge into place (not unexpected, but one wishes for first time perfection). The missing jacket part may cause some delay in publication, but that may turn out to be propitious, as there is something more that may be added to the book. More later …
Announcing my next book:
Time, and Times, and Half a Time
My next poetry book, my tenth, is coming out soon. This is my most intimate work so far … the poems were written in the first two years after our daughter’s passing
As a poet, it is my discipline to write a poem each day. My primary criterion as I write is that my poems be deeply honest – that they explore the landscape of truth, as precisely as I can understand it, at whatever level of experience is accessible to me at the moment. Therefore, my daily poems, when I look back on them, depict the terrain of my life more vividly than a diary might.
Some poems in this collection reflect the altered state I/we were in, and the changed perspective with which I found myself viewing everything. Many show the spiritual support that allowed me to find meaning in the place my life was shattered. Many are a tribute to our daughter’s wonderful spirit.
I hope this book will be meaningful to others – those who have experienced deep loss, those who know deep love, and those who yearn to understand the experience of others, to stand with them.
My book is illustrated by my friend susanna maria weiss, who captures the spirit of our daughter Heather, and of the experience of this passage.
I’ll post more details soon –
I’m eager to publish my upcoming book, The Law of Life. It delineates, poetically, what I am coming to understand, and am in awe of, about the natural laws that govern the cosmos on all scales, from stars to quarks. The book is illustrated with compelling black and white photographs taken by me, my husband, and my daughter, and it is beautiful. I keep picking it up and reading through it when I have many other things to do. It draws me in.
Coming out soon! My sixth poetry book:
Being One, Being Two contains two collections of poetry. The first collection, Being One—love poems for community, is an extension of the exploration begun in Infinite Permission—a healing journey home. Infinite Permission chronicles the author’s journey to personal wholeness and grace; Being One is about the learning of wholeness and grace with regard to community — the practice of open-hearted love. Being Two—love poems of an enduring partnership is an extension of the topic of Capture Rapture—notes from the romance adventure. It offers glimpses into the author’s thirty-plus year relationship with her husband, with the deepening intimacy and trust that comes from a long-term commitment. Both Being One and Being Two illustrate the life-giving power of love.
Also coming soon — my first novel: Muse — Book design courtesy of my daughter Heather:
Melissa and Aaron, geeky, innocent, and introverted, independently invoke muses to help them navigate the puzzling world of career, identity, and relationships. When they meet in an acrylics class, Melissa notices that Aaron resembles the muse she conjured writing a poem—the muse that led her to take the class. Aaron, exploring his tortured internal landscape, keeps seeing Melissa there. As they strive to follow their own muses, they wonder, more and more, what that might mean with regard to each other.
And somewhat remotely in the works:
I Will Dance — a spiritual journey
Throughout human existence, dance has been an essential expression – of self, of community, of spirit. In our modern world, dance has come to mean several very different things — an art form for spectators to view; a dating activity; a venue of competition. But its elemental nature, bringing out the human spirit and bringing us together, can still be found in some places. These poems outline the author’s experience of dance as a vehicle for spiritual liberation —a way to become free of inhibitions and to become connected, through music, to the harmony of the universe and the common beating of hearts.