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Saturday, October 31, 2020

Gary Roen Nationally Syndicated Book Critic and Author Interview

Gary S. Roen graciously accepted an invitation for an interview. I asked questions and he answered comprehensively. I know readers of the New Book Review are going to enjoy this information. 


1.   Please describe the many places for which you write book reviews.

 

My reviews have been running for a long time in different publications throughout the nation, that includes Midwestbookreview.com, bUnike Magazine, Lake Legal News, Hernando Star, Veterans Voice and Bivouac Magazine to name a few. Many years ago, when newspapers had book review sections I wrote for The Orlando Sentinel, Miami Herald, Florida Times Union, St Pete Times, Times Picayune, Baltimore Sun and Philadelphia Inquirer.

2.   Tell us about your career.


In the 1970’s I got into the publishing world by working for a family owned publishing company where I learned the trade of a salesman, something I had never done before. I acquired skills on how to promote authors that are still true today even with all the new ways we have to do so. I set up press junkets dealt with bookstores and events and all kinds of other things that I try to teach to other authors as a consultant

 

3.   Which recognitions/achievements have encouraged you the most?

 

I have received several things, one that I that I put in a frame that hangs proudly in my house is a letter from former president Jimmy Carter acknowledging my review of his book on fishing and how much he appreciated it. Others are my contribution to teacher days at schools and tokens of appreciation of my contribution to publications I have written for through the years.

 

4.   What writers have influenced you the most?

 

Ian Fleming with his James Bond novels that I grew up with, Donald E. Westlake for his comic mysteries of the Dormunder Capers and other hysterical works like The Busy Body. For Science Fiction there are Fredric Brown, Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Arthur Clarke, Robert A. Heinlein, Ben Bova, Andre Norton, Leigh Brackett and Harlan Ellison.

 

5.   What classes have helped you the most?

 

At several schools ranging from high school, junior college and UCF journalism was most helpful of learning to write quickly, concisely and to meet deadlines. Also, at UCF many courses of fiction writing. There I broke rules of the University of Central Florida because I took several fiction courses at the same time that administrative people said you could not do. Well I did it and many of the stories in my collection Journey came from those courses. So much for rules.

6.   What are some magazines in which you have appeared?


Strange New Worlds that was about different aspects of science fiction movies and TV shows, Florida National News Daily, are ones that I can recall off the top of my head.

7.  When did you begin writing?


To be honest that was back in 1969 Boone high school in Orlando when I almost got thrown out, for a story I wrote that was a bit of science fiction. Later I continued to get things published like The Test in Computer Legends Lies and Lore Ageless Press and some other online publications. They are in the realm of the great TV show The Twilight Zone that is still fabulous watching today

8   What are you working on now?


A story with two different alien races that are dealing with a virus on one of them.It

has been a lot of fun creating some of the characters' names and describing them. There are I am sure some underlying premises but I do not consciously put them in. All I am trying to do is tell a good story.

9   Why do you review books?

  

I love reading and fell into it many years ago when I was on WPRK in Winter Park, Florida. I did the show with Patty Flanigan of WDBO at the time who wanted to expand with a show on another station about science fiction. I was the go-to person on getting books because of my connections in the publishing world for us to talk about on the show. To expand the listenership, we branched out to include print as a way to promote the show. Later we dissolved everything but I kept doing print reviews that have continued to this day

 

10  What genres of books do you prefer to review?

 

I write and talk about everything. I do not do a lot of religious books but do include some. I do a lot of self-help, mysteries, suspense, science fiction, and fun ones of kids’ books like Saved By A Sniff Sniff Sniff Book or the Franky a pink Flamingo, or Ka’iwi, the Hawaiian Monk Seal Get to know me, I have to say I have learned quite a bit with books for kids more so than adult titles like the Monk Seal is very educational

 

11  Where may the readers learn more about you online?

People can type in my name Gary Roen or Gary S. Roen and there are plenty of places interviews I have done like In the DZone, Hanging With Web TV or they can find my reviews in many different publications.

12  What is your literary background?


I was lucky to go to a junior high in Orlando that had a wonderful teacher in John W Shank who taught us the classics. In junior college I had courses of literature but did not learn as much as I should have because of the teachers who did not like my perceptions of what we read. It had to be what they saw that really turned me against poetry and it's funny because I am the author of two books in that genre Look at Me World and The Forgotten Father Coping With Grief.

 

13  Tell us about the books you have published.

 

I did a collection with another author Cats Cats and More Cats, Journey, Slotski’s World and The Forgotten Father Coping With Grief. I write short stories of science fiction that are receiving very positive feedback and are a lot of fun to do because I highlight aspects of Orlando Florida that are not related to Disney and the theme parks. I am always working in some way on new stories and having fun with them

 

14  What advice would you give others?

 

Keep writing, do not get discouraged, learn your craft better if possible, by taking courses or hook up with writers’ groups that really work with authors on their work. Keep up on what is selling in the industry, do not strive to be the next whatever but do the best work you can possibly do and always be humble. Most of all have fun. 


Gary Roen, point of contact

www.legacypublishing.com 

     Gary S. Roen, is the author of two collections of science fiction. Slotski’s World, and Journey (Legacy Book Publishing) as well as co-author of Cats, Cats, and More Cats (Royal Fireworks Press)

     He is the author of two books of poetry. The Forgotten Father Coping With Grief (Taylor and Seal Publishing) and Look at Me World (Chateau Publishing). His work has been included in the short story collection; Computer Legends Lies and Lores (Ageless Press) and online magazines including, Anotherealm, and Mercury Sky.  He is also the author of a satirical play entitled Vamp.

      Roen is also a nationally syndicated book critic/writer, consultant who has been writing close to 45 years. His syndicated reviews have appeared in hundreds of daily, weekly, and monthly, publications that currently include Midwest Book Review, The Beachside Resident, Orlando Advocate, St. Cloud in the News, Osceola News-Gazette, Bivouac Magazine, and Arrhythmic Souls.

      His articles have run in; Living Well and Live Wisely, bUnike Magazine, The Beach Side Resident, Strange New Worlds, Crime Book Digest, Eleven Magazine, Backstage Pass, and West Orlando News.

     Over the many years of his career Roen has been a book salesman, as well as a publicist setting up press tours for authors for several publishing houses. He has been an agent working with authors and publishers in many different genres including true crime, horror and non-fiction.   

     He has been a regular on-air contributor to many different types of radio and TV shows throughout the United States.   

     For a number of years, he worked for numerous companies in the field of market research, in Central Florida, as an independent contractor. This gave him many diverse experiences, that have often found their way into much of his fictional stories.  

     His books can be found at these retailers

 Amazon

Books a Million

Barnes and Noble

Gary Roen Nationally Syndicated Book Critic and Author Interview

And watch for a guest post on using videos to promote great reviews and resources for doing that from one of Gary's grateful reviews, Wanda Luthman. It's coming here on #TheNewBookReview.  You can subscribe using the Google Gadget in the right column of this blog so you don't miss any or our precious tips for getting reviews...or precious reviews! 

Thank you for reading, 

Carolyn Wilhelm


More About #TheNewBookReview Blog

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the form at https://www.bit.ly/FinishedReviewSubmissions. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. And know that Carolyn Wilhelm, our IT expert, award-winning author, and veteran educator, makes an award image especially for those who volunteer to write reviews from Lois's review-request list and post them in the spirit of her "Authors Helping Authors" project. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Review for Tales2Inspire ~ The Diamond Collection - Series III

Review for Tales2Inspire ~ The Diamond Collection - Series III



TITLE OF YOUR BOOK: Tales2Inspire ~ The Diamond Collection Series III (a double header 

combining all the stories from the Pearl and Garnet Collections)


NAME (AUTHOR OF BOOK): Anthology of short stories written both by Lois W. Stern (Publisher) and winning authors of her 2019 contest)


GENRE OR CATEGORY: Anthology of Non-fiction, inspiring short stories


ISBN-10 : 1695618165

ISBN-13 : 978-1695618169

ASIN: B07YLX8C72


FORMATS: Paperback, Kindle


PAGE COUNT:  238


AMAZON LINKhttp s://www.amazon.com/Tales2Inspire-Diamond-Collection-III-Feathers/dp/1695618165/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=Tales2Inspire+Collection&qid=1582728148&s=books&sr=1-8


BEST REVIEW:

Perennial Inspiration - Right on Time

Over the ages, a diamond has been viewed as a love-crystal which is 'dependable in its virtues when given as a gift'.

Half of this lovingly-compiled collection is written by and about some 'Awesome Kids', with the remainder focusing on the 'tails' of animals. As a longtime lover of theTales2Inspire series, The Diamond Collection - Series 3 is my absolute favorite. Each of these 31 stories is a perennial reminder that miracles can happen with all ages, sizes, and species.

If you need an infusion of optimism, healing, and love, this timeless book is 'right on time'. Consider sharing with a special child in your life as well. Inspiration is infectious in the best of ways.



CLICK TO BUY


AUTHOR/PUBLISHER BIO:

Lois W. Stern is a multi award-winning author whose work has been featured in The New York Times, on Local Access TV, and in live presentations in many varied venues. She has now published ten Tales2Inspire books of her contest winners' stories. Fans of Chicken Soup for the Soul are particularly enamored of Tales2Inspire books, because aside from their dynamic inspirational themes, they are filled with original photos to enhance the power of each story. Lois invites interested readers to get a FREE Tales2Inspire sampler book at: www.tales2inspire.com/gifts and to learn more about entering the next Tales2Inspire contest at: http://tales2inspire.com/enter-author-contest/. 

She is also a regular contributor to this blog. 


E-MAIL ADDRESS: tales2Inspire@optimum.net


FAVORITE LINKS: 

 http://www.tales2inspire.com,

 www.twitter.com/tales2inspire2, 

www.facebook.com/tales2inspire.com


REVIEWER’S BYLINE: Maria Couchara-Jordan, MSN, RN

Author and Nurse Instructor


MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER:

Maria Jordan lives near historic Valley Forge, in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania with her husband and two dogs. Throughout a thirty five year nursing career, she has served a number of clinical, consultative and administrative roles in the field of Mental Health and Community Nursing. Maria currently works as a professor in a local university where she has developed a course on “Safety and Recognizing the Signs of Potential Workplace Violence”.

Check out more of Maria’s books and writing at: www.marcoujor.com

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Dr. Wesley Britton Learns Some New Things About John Lennon

 

Title: John Lennon 1980 Playlist 

Author: Tim English 

Genre: Nonfiction/Biography

Publication Date : September 23, 2020

Kindle Unlimited

ASIN : B08JYHM2V1

Buy on Amazon

 

 

Reviewed by: Dr. Wesley Britton originally for BookPleasures.com

 

Forty years after his murder, I thought there wouldn't be much new ground to unearth regarding the last days of John Lennon. On that point, I've been proved wrong twice this week. On Friday, Oct. 16, ABC's 2020 aired "John Lennon: His Life, Legacy, and Last Days" featuring new interviews with friends and associates of the influential musician.

 

At the same time, this week I read Tim English's new John Lennon 1980 Playlist, an analytical history lesson with many surprises for me, a lifetime Lennon aficionado. The book made me remember what I was doing and how I felt on December 8, 1980 and the days and nights that followed. Forty years later, I'm surprised at the emotional impact of revisiting those times.

 

Part of that emotional resonance I felt while reading Playlist is due to how English captures the musical and cultural times of 1979 and 1980, focusing, of course, on what impacted and influenced John Lennon to come out of retirement and work on Double Fantasy. I wasn't surprised to hear of his interest in New Wave music by The Clash, Blondie, Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe, and Elvis Costello. I was interested to learn how Lennon responded to "Rock Lobster" by the B52s. He was delighted to hear singer Kate Pierson's stylings clearly based on the warbling vocals of Yoko Ono.  This sort of appreciation for his wife was a major kick-starter for his own musical revival.

 

I admit discovering there was music I missed back in the day--I never heard of The Vapors "Turning Japanese." The title alone tells me why Lennon would have responded favorably to that hit. I hadn't known that "Coming Up" from his ex-partner Paul McCartney ignited Lennon's competitive juices.  

 

I already knew of Lennon's interest in the growing importance of Bob Marley and reggae,   but I would never have guessed that he liked disco in general, and Donna Summer in particular.  Wanting to get Yoko Ono's music on the disco floor had much to do with his work on her "Walking on Thin Ice" dance number. Christopher Cross and the soft pop of the era was never my cup of tea, but I could understand Lennon's love of "Sailing" as that song had special meaning for a man who had just been sailing to Bermuda where his musical torch was relit.

 

 

To be fair, Playlist is more than a recital of popular tunes and which songs were on Lennon's personal jukebox.  English offers many anecdotes about the origins of many tunes Lennon had liked back in his formative years like Sanford Clark's 1956 rockabilly hit, "The Fool." Lennon had a well-known fondness for straightforward, old style rock 'n roll and the styles being revitalized as in Queen's 1979 "Crazy Little Thing Called Love." No surprise that "(Just Like) Starting Over"  had obvious nods to Elvis Presley and the rockabilly era.

  

So, even if you think you know it all, odds are 1980 Playlist should provide knowledgeable readers with fresh revelations into the process of how Double Fantasy and it's follow-up, Milk and Honey, came to be.   I love this sort of stuff and found Playlist to be a fast and engaging read.  It took me back to a place of wonderful memories before the December 8 crash in so many lives. It's no spoiler to reveal the abrupt last two sentences of the book:

 

"Perhaps John would have sung "Liverpool Lou” to Sean that Monday night. If only he’d made it home."

 

This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Oct. 19, 2020:

 

https://waa.ai/uPke


 

 More About the Reviewer

 

 Dr. Wesley Britton is the author of The Beta Earth Chronicles and a regular reviewer for BookPleasures.com and #TheNewBookReview. Learn more about Britton and his work here: 

Explore the Beta Earth Chronicles websiteFollow Wes Britton’s Goodreads blogCheck out Wes Britton’s Beta Earth Chronicles Facebook pageEnjoy the videos at Wes Britton’s YouTube Channel


Dr. Wesley Britton Learns Some New Things About John Lennon

More About the Blogger and What This Blog Offers
  
 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.



Note about other #TheNewBookReview free services: Participating authors and their publishers may request the social sharing image by Carolyn Wilhelm at no charge.  Please contact the designer at:  cwilhelm (at) thewiseowlfactory (dot) com. Provide the name of the book being reviewed and--if an image or headshot of the author --isn't already part of the badge, include it as an attachment. Wilhelm will send you the badge to use in your own Internet marketing. Give Wilhelm the link to this post, too!

Lois W. Stern, educator, anthology editor, and authors' advocate, offers a way for authors, readers, and publishers to find new reviewers for their books. It's also a way for reviewers to find new books at no charge. Find her submission guidelines in the tabs at the top of The New Book Review home page.  

 Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing




Monday, October 19, 2020

You Are Your Child's First Teacher by Rahima Baldwin Dancy Book Review

Title: You Are Your Child's First Teacher: Encouraging Your Child's Natural Development from Birth to Age Six

Author: Rahima Baldwin Dancy

Formats: Kindle, Paperback, and Audio Book

Pages: 336 Pages

  • ISBN-10 : 1607743027
  • ISBN-13 : 978-1607743026
  • ASIN : B008WOUEMK

Publisher : Ten Speed Press; 3rd Edition

The first book in America to popularize the insights of Rudolf Steiner, founder of the Waldorf schools, regarding the developmental needs of young children.

You Are Your Child's First Teacher: Encouraging Your Child's Natural Development from Birth to Age Six was written by Rahima Baldwin Dancy. The book essentially presents the Waldorf philosophy of education and includes quotes from famous people in the Waldorf movement. However, much of the information is quite practical and helpful and can be applied in general to early childhood education.

"We have lost touch with natural processes in child development, convinced that we have to 'do something' rather than allowing the child’s own inner processes to unfold." 

She does not advocate for pacifiers, walkers, jumping toys, and other aids that supposedly help children achieve milestones before they are actually ready. She does advocate for an unrestrained, baby-proofed environment that the child can freely access and roam without problems. She feels the children will develop best this way. She also does not advocate for the early swim or gymnastics lessons as the learning cannot be sustained. She says toddlers do their own very appropriate gymnastics.

You Are Your Child's First Teacher by Rahima Baldwin Dancy Book Review

I spent much time reading the parts about babies and thinking about the book. As a grandmother, I got stuck on her ideas about the child becoming incarnate in the first year. She says the spirit at birth is larger than the body. Ponder that a minute and remember when this seemed true about newborns you have known. 

"Perhaps you have had the experience of walking into a room where a newborn is sleeping and wondering how the room can feel so filled by such a tiny creature sleeping over in the corner."

Growing Down

Dancy's description of how children "grow down" is so true. She described this as first the baby becomes able to move his or her eyes and head, then gain control of the torso to roll, later the hands begin to work, and finally the legs when the child can walk at about one year of age. Children grow up as they grow down. So interesting!

The author (and Waldorf education) is not for having children younger than age 7 sit still for long. "The tremendous growth of the first seven years is accompanied by the nearly constant movement as muscles and bones grow and coordination is gradually achieved." We know if we ask a child to sit for long, how they wiggle and fidget! Although children can learn certain things at young ages, she says if that is done it takes from the energy that is otherwise needed for growth and development.  Emphasis on intellectual growth too soon can have negative effects later, according to the book.

You Are Your Child's First Teacher by Rahima Baldwin Dancy Book Review

The book has a chapter on how to choose a preschool. Criteria are listed and can be consulted for parents who are trying to make such a decision. I notice that often in the Montessori on a Budget Facebook group these kinds of decisions are discussed. Parents want to know what to consider and this book can help with whatever type of preschool is being considered.

What about children watching television? What about video games? What does she think about immunizations? How should you care for a sick child? What about emphasizing religion in daily life? The author emphasizes that gratitude and reverence for life are essential to the whole development of the child. If you have questions in this area, the book offers pros and cons to consider, that I'm sure parents will find very helpful.

Conscious Parenting

"Conscious parenting requires keeping perspective and not letting ourselves become so bogged down in the day-to-day task of raising our children that we neglect to focus on the larger picture." 

Conscious parenting is: being present in the moment and attending to the present needs of the child. She says we should see the light in the child, as we parent.

The appendix has a discussion about Rudolf Steiner and Waldorf education. I did not realize that Waldorf has become the largest private school movement in the world. I didn't know that such schools were closed in World War II. Steiner is the founder of Waldorf Schools and is a pioneer in the area of developmentally based, age-appropriate learning. Early childhood educators are all in favor of such learning, and this book offers an understanding of such practice.

Thank you for reading! Carolyn


More About #TheNewBookReview Blog 

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the form at https://www.bit.ly/FinishedReviewSubmissions. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. And know that Carolyn Wilhelm, our IT expert, award-winning author, and veteran educator, makes an award image especially for those who volunteer to write reviews from Lois's review-request list and post them in the spirit of her "Authors Helping Authors" project. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Friday, October 16, 2020

Carol Smallwood's "Thread, Form, and Other Enclosures" Reviewed by Cristina Deptula

Title: Thread, Form, and Other Enclosures
Author: Carol Smallwood
Publisher: Main Street Rag Press (October, 2020)
ISBN: 978-1-59948-812-7
96 pages
$15 (+ shipping)

Reviewed by Cristina Deptula

On Christmas Day my mother and I enjoyed the most recent version of Little Women in the theater. I nodded with respect when Meg, the most domestic of the sisters, admonished the less traditional Jo, ‘Just because my dreams are different from yours doesn’t mean that they are less important.’

In her most recent poetry collection Thread, Form and Other Enclosures, Carol Smallwood illustrates Meg’s point through a thoughtful arrangement of pieces.

Formal structures—pantoum, triolet, and villanelle—begin the collection, immediately demonstrating the author’s technical prowess. Several of these pieces, and many works throughout Enclosures, deal with domestic objects and activities—quilts, blue jeans, sewing thread, Clabber Girl baking powder. There are even some gently humorous poems, such as a piece on how to discreetly hide one’s undergarments from neighbors who might see your clothesline and a highly structured piece written in upbeat advertising copy language about spandex yoga pants.

While Smallwood writes just as adeptly in free verse and shorter bursts of language later in the book, those formal pieces assert that homemaking, building an everyday life with skill and dignity, is a craft to be mastered, just as much as literature. My mother shared with me not long ago that when she and my father were newlyweds, he asked her why she found Woman’s Day and Good Housekeeping interesting. She told him that he read technology magazines to develop his career, and since at that point homemaking was her career, she was doing the same.  

All of this affirms that traditional women’s concerns of cooking, sewing, and mending, and women themselves, are worthy of thought and consideration.

Smallwood’s collection is arranged so as to connect seemingly mundane activities to deeper meaning. Thread holds mended clothing and the squares of a quilt together, and a spool of thread from a woman, Ariadne, allowed Theseus to navigate his way out of the labyrinth after battling the Minotaur. On an even grander level, the ancient Greeks believed three goddesses, Fates, determined our lifespans by measuring and cutting thread. Strings, which can be seen as larger threads, are, in a leading cosmological theory, the building blocks of the universe.

Throughout human history women have invested labor and thought into nourishing people in the kitchen, taking pride in our appearance and that of our homes, creating beauty and order within our surroundings. To Smallwood, these endeavors are a real way of holding society together and laying down the building blocks of our world.

The domesticity Smallwood portrays can also represent enclosure, where women’s lives and contributions take place mostly within the home, the private rather than the public sphere. While women can certainly find meaning and beauty in homemaking, we can also find ourselves restricted by the metaphorical rooms, drawers and cabinets of our lives. Houses with heavy doors, and a husband who demeans and infantilizes, can wrap around and trap us, as Smallwood poignantly illustrates in the piece that references Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story The Yellow Wallpaper, where isolation and loss of control over her life drives a female narrator to madness.

Women’s lives have often been marked by enclosure, whether by tradition, societal roles, or our understandable fears of assault and violence. Smallwood’s collection reflects some of this danger, through the aforementioned piece about the abusive husband and another about a male professor who makes crude comments in class.

Another kind of assault present in Smallwood’s collection is cancer, still treated by invasive chemotherapy that causes debilitating side effects. The speakers navigate and survive through a determined embrace, however possible, of freedom and choice. The cup that holds medication becomes a tool saved to capture and release insects trapped in the home, and one can consider the landscape of the Moon while receiving an ultrasound. 

Smallwood's formal poetic structures, like the interiors of homes and the rooms, cabinets and boxes within them, represent both sites of beauty, mastery and empowerment and sites of restriction and confinement in women's lives. To reflect this contradiction, she employs a repetitive formal structure for a piece urging writers to throw off their inner censors and speak their minds. 

We celebrate along with Smallwood when hair regrows and health returns after successful cancer treatment, as we do when the narrator gets away from the man who boasted she would never leave. Even when life leaves scars, we can sometimes survive, outlast our suffering and retain our beauty, become like the ‘three dolls in pink dresses, showing cracked faces with grace.’

Smallwood’s last two poems in the collection concern greeting card envelopes and McDonald’s, and she returns to formal structures to render these subjects. Her afterword reminds us that ‘beauty comes at us in ordinary moments/full-grown, unexpected.’ Everyday life can be inspiring and lovely, and we can understand the joy that Little Women’s Meg, and many women throughout history, have taken in the ‘threads and enclosures’ of our lives.

More About the Poet 

Carol Smallwood edited several books for the American Library Asociation and is a National Federation of State Poetry Societies and Franklin-Christoph Poetry Contest Winner. Among her over five dozen books, Women and Poetry: Tips on Writing, Teaching and Publishing by Successful Women Poets appears on the list of "Best Books for Writers" by Poets & Writers Magazine. Recent poetry collections are from WordTech Editions, Lamar University Press, Shanti Arts. Writing After Retirement: Tips by Successful Retired Writers; The Library's Role in Supporting Financial Literacy for Patrons; Library Partnerships With Writers and Poets. Compartments: Poems on Nature, Femininity, and Other Realms was nominated for the Pushcart Prize; others followed. Carol's first chapter of her novel, Lily's Odyssey, is in Best New Writing 2010; In the Measuring. Some of the Marquis publications she appears: Who's Who in the World, Who's Who of American Women, Who's Who in the World; Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. She appears in Contemporary Authors New Revision 282; Wikipedia. Carol has founded humane societies.



Thread, Form, and Other Enclosures by Carol Smallwood, Reviewed by Cristina Deptula

More About the Reviewer 

As a former science and technology reporter, Cristina Deptula brings curiosity and empathy to her book reviews. She has always loved to read and is the founder and editor of Synchronized Chaos International Magazine and also founder and general manager of Authors, Large and Small literary publicity firm. 



More About the Blogger and What This Blog Offers
  
 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.



Note about other #TheNewBookReview free services: Participating authors and their publishers may request the social sharing image by Carolyn Wilhelm at no charge.  Please contact the designer at:  cwilhelm (at) thewiseowlfactory (dot) com. Provide the name of the book being reviewed and--if an image or headshot of the author --isn't already part of the badge, include it as an attachment. Wilhelm will send you the badge to use in your own Internet marketing. Give Wilhelm the link to this post, too!

Lois W. Stern, educator, anthology editor, and authors' advocate, offers a way for authors, readers, and publishers to find new reviewers for their books. It's also a way for reviewers to find new books at no charge. Find her submission guidelines in the tabs at the top of The New Book Review home page.  

 Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Sunday, October 11, 2020

Review of Kingsolver's "Prodigal Summer" in Poetry Form

Note from Blogger Carolyn Howard-Johnson: 

Recently, this #TheNewBookReview blog has attracted more interest from poets and readers of poetry and the idea of accepting reviews of books, especially classics and poetry books written in poetry rather than prose came up. My answer? Of course! This from Leslie Klein who was recently interviewed by another #poet, Carol Smallwood! Enjoy! 



Title: Prodigal Summer

Author: Barbara Kingsolver

Leslie Klein (reviewer)

Fiction

ISBN-13 : 978-0060959036 

ISBN-10 : 0060959037


Reviewed in poetry by Leslie Klein


Wild Pages

Another book
has come my way
after abandoning
the read of two others
unable to attach
my interest
for more than mere pages.

This one that
ensnares
is riveting
with passion, flora
and carnivore scat.

Enchanting is my
imagined sketch
of backwood events.
All is pulsing—
moths, bats
and milk-gorged teats
consume
as do the kisses
and long stares
of the lovers
entwined in their
discovery.

                       ~ Copyright by Leslie Klein 

                         



More About the Author of The Prodigal Summer


Barbara Kingsolver is the author of nine bestselling works of fiction, including the novels, Flight Behavior, The Lacuna, The Poisonwood Bible, Animal Dreams, and The Bean Trees, as well as books of poetry, essays, and creative nonfiction. Her work of narrative nonfiction is the enormously influential bestseller Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. Kingsolver’s work has been translated into more than twenty languages and has earned literary awards and a devoted readership at home and abroad. She was awarded the National Humanities Medal, our country’s highest honor for service through the arts, as well as the prestigious Dayton Literary Peace Prize for her body of work. She lives with her family on a farm in southern Appalachia.


More About the Poet-Reviewer Leslie Klein


Leslie Klein is an artist and writer, living in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. Her op-eds, feature stories, and poetry have been published in various newspapers and magazines. Klein has had a long career teaching and showing her work in galleries and juried exhibitions. She was commissioned to create the sculpture for The Boston Freedom Award.  Reach her at clayforms@aol.comThis poem was originally published by Shanti Arts LLC in Leslie's book, Driving Through Paintings.  


More About the Blogger and Ways to Get the Most from #TheNewBookReview

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.



Note: Participating authors and their publishers may request the social sharing image by Carolyn Wilhelm at no charge.  Please contact the designer at:  cwilhelm (at) thewiseowlfactory (dot) com. Provide the name of the book being reviewed and--if an image or headshot of the author --isn't already part of the badge, include it as an attachment. Wilhelm will send you the badge to use in your own Internet marketing. Give Wilhelm the link to this post, too!
 Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing