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| Category: Poetry |
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| About the Book | |
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Through the media of poetry and photography, the authors explore relationships as they relate to the family, self and others, social concerns, and spirituality. The poem and the photograph can enhance and illumine each other. For example, the poem Absence relates to the emotional absence of a father. The poem is juxtaposed with an image of a deserted beach in the evening. Both the poem and the photo evoke the feeling of absence, of something that is missing. Working together, the poem and the photo deepen the feeling of abandonment and loneliness. In the poem, The Plan, which confronts the issue of exploitation of natural resources by rich nations, the book juxtaposes an image of conflict and turbulence. So the image of poverty and suffering is overlayed with the image of nature in a state of upheaval. In Night Watch, a poem that explores the sense of spiritual hunger, is set next to an image of seagulls huddled along a beach at nighttime. This black and white photo seems to work particularly well with this poem. While poetry goes back thousands of years, the advent of photography is less than 200 years old. But even before photography, the Japanese have often expressed the feelings evoke by a haiku with ink drawings. Art is not reserved for anthologies and art museums but is a way for everyone to learn self-expression and be in touch with their own creative spirit. The genesis of many of these poems is through free writing where thoughts and feelings can arise that may be buried deep in our memories. Bringing these memories forward can create the basis of poetry and other art forms. We all have an immense treasury of memories. If you doubt it, start writing sentences beginning with “I remember…”. You will discover your own wealth of past experiences. While we hope you enjoy this book, we also hope the book will be a stimulus for the reader to further explore their own creativity.
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| Reviews | |
“This volume is long overdue. His poetry opens you to a unique and moving way of seeing. The world needs more of Lawrence’s poetry.” “Kevin Byrne is an accomplished Chicago photographer who captures the beauty of the Midwest landscape. From moody Noir alleys to industrialized pockets of the city, Bryne documents the beauty of Chicago in its people and places. Byrne has been featured at two group exhibitions and a 2-person exhibition at Oliva Gallery and is actively working on publishing a larger body of work.”
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| About the Author | |
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Lawrence Couch published Dada Dog, a chapbook of poems and photographs. He organized poetry workshops for national advocacy conferences on social justice. Kevin Byrne has acted in film and on-stage, toured Ireland as the driver for a popular Ska band and risked his life as a bike messenger in Manhattan. |