Recommended Titles

Poetry in Motion

Poetry in Motionby George Hanks

Free Musketeers Publishing

Thanks to George, Word4Word Poets is now an international group as he is our very first member residing overseas.

Contact George to order his new book or to send a warm word of encouragement.

Here's how George describes his book. "The poems in this book are based on me, family, friends, doctors and other people involved in my life. This first time effort is my way of demonstrating that life goes on, regardless of personal circumstances. A shaking right hand makes my writing meander and hence I call that 'poetry in motion'."

The book will be available to Dutch and Belgium residents through the Free Musketeers website. For the US, the book will only be available from George's forthcoming website. The proceeds from the book go to those in need suffering from Parkinson's disease and heart problems.

George is interviewed on BlogTalk Radio's PDTalk Live.

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World Made of Glass

World Made of Glassby Ann Shalaski

San Francisco Bay Press

Ann is an inspiring poet. The work included in her first book of poems is beautiful as well as accessible. She paints for us a world as fragile as glass, as honest as a real woman, and as humorous as trading places with Barbie.

Readers are placed centerstage, sharing introspectively. For example, in Gray Confusion, the speaker laments there is no time to "look into the eyes of grandparents, find what it is of them that's lasted."

Ann's poems succeed by connecting with her audience in ways we'd expect from a close friend. The truths she reveals include both the painful as well as the painfully funny.

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The Human Touch

The Human Touchby Bill Glose

San Francisco Bay Press

The loss of a loved one, pets, rejection, love. Bill uses these and other universal themes to touch our hearts. In Circular Logic the speaker has a faith larger than history allowing him to fall in love again.

The Human Touch is a triumphant journey artfully expressed in daily life experiences. It is a journey you'll want to join over and over again.




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River Country

River Countryby Carolyn Krieter-Foronda

San Francisco Bay Press

The latest book of poetry from Virginia's acclaimed Poet Laureate, 2006-2008!

From the publisher:

In Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda's recently published poetry collection, River Country, eastern Virginia's Tidewater region serves as a microcosm of pristine areas undergoing radical changes detrimental to the environment. The speaker of these poems, through her observations of the changing character of the rural setting, recognizes a deep connection to nature and the need to contribute to its survival.

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The Third Rail

The Third Railby Jill Winkowski

Amazon.com

Jill Winkowski's prose is also poetic. Here's a sample from Chapter 3:

"The third rail becomes a long strip of red clay like the rich clay of Virginia. You can smell it. It smells like home. A sandy shore, a strip of beach. A split rail fence, a field being cleared, long lines of lumber. Past Baltimore, past Aberdeen, a gutter, broken bridges, a wild cat arching, broken trees, long steel pylons, flat and parallel."

The story of Olive's journey is rich in imagery and Jill's narrative, pure poetry. This is a story of love, freedom, and hope. Reading, The Third Rail we share the emotions and experience important events as if we stood in the sun or felt the burst of air and heard the growing rumble of a passing train from the edge of the platform at a train station. This is a story of real people facing truth and in truth, Jill's work is a success.

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How Far Is Ordinary

How Far Is Ordinaryby Nancy Powell

Amazon.com

In How Far is Ordinary, Nancy Powell paints the speaker's every day like Claude Monet. In The Dining Room at Dawn the speaker leans against her shadows, ""as if the act could put me/ close enough, so he would brush me/ in paint, swallow me like fresh fruit, . . ."

Nancy's work is at times sensual, courageous. We've been to Ordinary at some point in life and these beautiful poems are far from it.


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Late Wife: Poems

Late Wifeby Claudia Emerson

LSU Press

Winner of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry

From the publisher:

In Late Wife, a woman explores her disappearance from one life and reappearance in another as she addresses her former husband, herself, and her new husband in a series of epistolary poems. Though not satisfied in her first marriage, she laments vanishing from the life she and her husband shared for years. She then describes the unexpected joys of solitude during her recovery and emotional convalescence. Finally, in a sequence of sonnets, she speaks to her new husband, whose first wife died from lung cancer. The poems highlight how the speaker's rebeginning in this relationship has come about in part because of two couples' respective losses.

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Skipping Stones 2009

Skipping Stones 2009Pete Freas, Editor

Mindworm Press

Skipping Stones is an annual anthology of Hampton Roads, Virginia poets, artists, and photographers.







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The Translator's Diary

Translator's Diaryby Jon Pineda

Amazon.com

Winner of the 2007 Green Rose Prize

"In The Translator’s Diary, where truth ‘never survives its translation’, Jon Pineda composes a haunting elegy. His keen attention journeys through absence and presence, fragmentation and loss in memorable, riveting language."
—Arthur Sze


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El Público en Escena

El Publico en Escenaby Enrique Ferrer Corredor

El Público en Escena (The Audience On Stage) is a collection of short stories in Spanish.
ISBN 958-97620-2-6
Colección Los Conjurados
comunpresencia@yahoo.com

Enrique Ferrer Corredor is a Colombo-Venezuelan author, teacher, and academic. He divides his time between literature, economics, political science and his love of soccer. He received an MA in Linguistics and Literature and a PhD in Spain. He is a professor of universities: National Pedagogical of Colombia and the Colombian School of Engineering. He taught the Latin American poetry chair at the Instituto Caro y Cuervo. His story, The Other Death of Salazar garnered second place in the City of Florence's short story contest. A tireless traveler and contributor to various national and international publications, among them Samsa's Dream and Joint Presence. Founder and director of the journal, Papeles he also contributed to writers' workshops at the Central University in Colombia and Zaranda in Venezuela. His first collection of poems, Moon Ash was published in 1994 and had two editions in 1998.

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Corpus Homini: A Poem for Single Flesh

Corpus Homini: A Poem for Single Fleshby Sofia M. Starnes

Wings Press

Winner of the 2008 Whitebird Poetry Series Prize

From the publisher:

"Extended works of praise are few: Thomas Traherne's Centuries ("all was new and shining"), Christopher Smart's Jubilate Agno, Denise Levertov's O Taste and See. . . .; Sofia M. Starnes' Corpus Homini: A Poem for Single Flesh is a vital addition to the list. She begins with the old idea that we are stones (Ovid) or cages of bone, only to show that the spirit of life dances on our surfaces, while the flesh unites us to all creatures, their sense of the body as gift. Starnes does not cheat: "the aphids multiply," the body cells age. But there is joy on every page of Corpus Homini . . ., as reliable as "the brown wren at the window," while the words of this poet are new, shining, and confident.
—Michael Mott, author of The World of Richard Dadd, and The Seven Mountains of Thomas Merton

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The Sailors: Birth of a Navy

The Sailors: Birth of a Navyby Edward W. Lull

Amazon.com

Editorial Review:

"The true tales of leadership and courage that set the standards for Navy sailors of all ages fill the pages of this exciting book. The twelve exploits that are recounted in these well-researched and easy-reading poetry forms explain why the term sailor carries such deep respect in the United States Navy. The first story begins with John Barry in 1776; the last with Stephen Decatur in 1816. All fought their battles under sail in wooden ships in the harsh environment of stormy seas. The boldness and valor of these patriots gives meaning to the word patriotism."

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Light Persists

Light Persistsby Jane Ellen Glasser

University of Tampa Press

Winner of 2005 Tampa Review Prize for Poetry

The judges praised Glasser's book: "Her arresting images derive from observation and sensation at once singular, as though each were an epiphany, and yet freighted with layers of knowledge that could only acrue over years. Enter into the most stunning of these poems and come away without words, because words have been transformed into events of pure being."

I say, "Breathtaking."

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Likeness of Being: A Poetic Look at Friends and Strangers

Likeness of Being: A Poetic Look at Friends and Strangersby Nathan M. Richardson

Amazon.com

From a Review on Amazon.com:

"Words that tug on the soul. This is more than a book of poetry, this is a book that resonates with the soul on a deep level.

Richardson is very talented and brings the reader to a place of questioning, yet, at the same time a place of serenity in Likeness of Being. Thoughts and emotions are stirred, issues are evoked, and deeper faith instilled. Only a gifted writer, which is emotionally invested in the writing, can convey all the messages at the same time in one poem. Richardson is this gifted writer."
—Irene Watson for Reader Views

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The Poet's Domain, Volume 24

Poet's Domain Vol 24Pat Adler, Publisher

Live Wire Press

The Poet's Domain is an anthology of theme-driven poetry published in the fall. The theme for Volume 24, Then a stretcher will come from grace..., is from Zero Circle by the Persian poet Rumi.






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Alphabet of Foxes

Alphabet of Foxesby Serena Fusek

San Francisco Bay Press

Serena's poems spark the mojo and the blues. They ride hard on motorcycles at night. Her poems play cards, drink and love too much, blow through hollow bone. Most importantly, they remind us we have forgotten the alphabet of foxes when we "grew too tall to crawl under the wild roses."

Alphabet of Foxes seduces with its earthy music. The work gives haunting voices to those secrets in the brush. Secrets we long to revisit and relearn.




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The Blessedness of Believing

Blessedness of Believingby Linda Mose Meadows

Tate Publishing

Author Linda Mose Meadows received rave reviews for her book The Blessedness of Believing: A Devotional Journey of Life’s Lessons and God’s Promises (Tate Publishing). Inspirational Author, Blogger and Columnist of Urban Views Weekly, Linda Mose Meadows’ collection of heartfelt devotionals passionately and honestly captures the daily complexities faced by many. Ms. Meadows is transparent in sharing her challenges and the personal benefits of appreciating hope and reliance on God’s promises.

Connect with the Author and be encouraged to embrace a new outlook on this year’s spiritual journey with lessons for living. The book is available from Tate Publishing, online bookstores like Amazon.com and others, and in local book stores.

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Saccharin and Plastic Band Aids

Saccharin and Plastic Band Aidsby Branch Isole

Manao Publishing

Publisher's Review:

Poet Branch Isole writes short stories about adult issues and emotions of personal responsibility choice and avoidance that engage the reader in life situations often experienced, but not always voiced. His style and presentation, known as 'Voyeurism Poetry' is filled with images for the observer, designed to evoke responses of identity and reflection. These works contain adult themes and language intended for mature audiences.


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Rinsewater River

Rinsewater Riverby Patricia Flower Vermillion

San Francisco Bay Press

From the publisher:

"In Rinsewater River, poet Patricia Vermillion splashes through a river from source to mouth, pausing at family pastiches, beloved paintings and more to present poems that are vivid presentations of a well rained upon landscape."




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The Heat, The Day, and This Moment

The Heat, The Day, and This Momentby Kamau Rucker

San Francisco Bay Press

From the publisher:

"Rucker's poems are wonderfully liberating in not falling for the stylistic monomania of so much contemporary poetry."





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