Saturday, December 29, 2012

STELLA MAZUR PREDA

To quote Andreas Gripp, a well known London, Ontario poet who summarized Stella Mazur Preda's newest book,  "The Fourth Dimension".

"Stella Mazur Preda bridges the phantom chasm to The Fourth Dimension - and in it the readers meets the author's penchant for colourful description and scenes enhanced with multiple metaphors.  The images from the natural world and the thoughts conveyed by the human narrrative are rich, relentless and rewarding.  Emanating vibrancy that is always accessible, the poems in this long-awaited collection are loaded with lines that convey the author's literary craftsmanship and her experience with the subjects about which she writes.  A poet attuned to the sounds and sights of her world - and ours."

-  Andreas Gripp, author of The Apostasy of Daylight.


My review:

I particularly liked "Remnants of Home" which speaks of the poet's early days when her family began their new life in Toronto after immigrating to Canada.

The second verse;

"Mama sang as she cooked and baked;
aroma of warm bread seeping from the oven
obliterating dad's acrid cigarettes."

This poem, in particular spoke to me and reminded me of my own childhood where the smell of homemade baking filled my nostrils, and made my mouth water.

This poem also evokes a different time in Canadian life, a time when many mothers stayed home and husbands went to work.


Another poem which also spoke to me was "A Winter Retreat"  where the poet talks about an aimless walk in the forest.

"Woodland friends
   peer
from their hidden burrows;

A small sample of this poet's lovely work as published in this, her second book.


Online Purchase:All of our online purchases are made through our affiliate The Book Band. George and Trudi Down, both book lovers and published poets, operate The Book Band, a company devoted to promoting and marketing small publishers.

If you wish to make payment with a credit card, please place your order with The Book Band:
The Book Band,
1900 King St. East, P.O. Box 69001, Hamilton ON L8K 6R4

Email address: info@thebookband.com

Phone: (905) 545-5274 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (905) 545-5274 FREE end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (905) 545-5274 FREE







 








  

Friday, December 14, 2012

WILMA SEVILLE - Radio interview

What an interesting experience that was.  I have interviewed people from professors to politicians but have never been on the radio myself.

There were some technical problems in the beginning of the show but Mehdi, the technicians managed to get things straightened out.  It is a co-op radio in Vancouver, B.C. which is 3,000 miles from here.  The equipment is old but still functions.

I find it amazing how technology allows people to communicate from all corners of the world.  Apparently this show is heard in 40 different countries and gets about 1500 hits a day.

All in all, a positive experience.  My slot is near the beginning of the hour which was very considerate of the hosts as it was late here (after midnight).  I used my limited skills in Spanish which I enjoyed very much as I haven't spoken Spanish for many years.

If you would care to hear the radio show, please go to:

http://worldpoetry.ca

Click on the radio show for Dec. 11th, enjoy the music and I hope you will enjoy hearing what I have to say.  If you can, try to listen to near the end of the show, there is a young man talking through his poetry about bi-polar disease.  I thought he was marvelous.

Thanks for dropping by. 

Saturday, December 8, 2012

DAVID C. HASKINS

Why Teach Parsing to Grade Schoolers
 
 
If there were no more adverbs, no more places, times, circumstances,
If there were no more adjectives, qualifiers, modifiers,
If there were no nouns, names, lists, categories,
If there were no pronouns, replacements, persons,
If there were no syntax, arrangements, calculations, reasons,
 
There would be no board meetings, parliaments, arguments with lovers,
There would be no novels, histories, cook books, telephone directories,
There would be no schools, Dow-Jones average, film at eleven,
We would not know that 325 blackflies in the bush
Land on a square foot of cloth in a minute in June;
We would not know we are different from each other,
I am not you, you are not who;
We would thieve to get, kill to eat, spend the day
Finding a safe night’s rest;
 
We would not notice childhood slip away,
Nor count the mileposts toward our deaths;
We would not know we are dying, until
the sudden crunch of jaws through neck;
 
But, there are parts of speech....

Friday, December 7, 2012

ROBERT F. NIELSEN

BOOK REVIEW:      

ATHLETE'S FOOT;  oR HOW I FAILED AT SPORTS

Author:   Robert F. Nielsen.



Published by Potlatch Publications, the cover of this book has a picture of a young man in hockey gear sitting with his hand on his chin, looking somewhat discouraged. It is a very appropriate cover for this publication.

As I read on, I found myself in great sympathy with the author and emphasized with him as he stumbled his way through all the "manly" sports that so many of our Canadian lads and gals are expected to be good at.

I particularly enjoyed his sense of humour and at many points in this delightful book, he had me laughing as I read on.

A good read, especially for a young person who may not be particularly skillful on the sports field.  It will certain lift up the young person's feeling of self-esteem knowing that he/she is not alone.





TO ORDER:

Online Purchase:
All of our online purchases are made through our affiliate The Book Band. George and Trudi Down, both book lovers and published poets, operate The Book Band, a company devoted to promoting and marketing small publishers.
If you wish to make payment with a credit card, please place your order with The Book Band:
The Book Band,
1900 King St. East, P.O. Box 69001, Hamilton ON L8K 6R4
Email address: info@thebookband.com
Phone: (905) 545-5274 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (905) 545-5274 FREE