Platero And I by Juan Ramon Jimenez

 

   Those of us who experience the depth of the emotional connection with a non-human animal will understand the significance of Platero and I.

     Juan Ramon Jimenez’s poetical prose is about the shared experiences between the author and Platero. Platero is a donkey; Juan Ramon Jimenez reveals the soul of his humble donkey friend with tenderness, giving way to a poignant emotional connection with the reader.

     Juan Ramon Jimenez’s Platero and I is a memorable tribute to Platero, his inseparable companion, as they share moments of contemplation, joy, sadness and reflections. Their encounters with animals, people and the beauty of their natural surroundings in the small town of Moguer in Andalusia, Spain, fill the reader with wonder.

   “He is so much like me, so different from the others that I have come now to believe we dream the same… his dreams mine… and my dreams his.”

   The mutual understanding between Platero and Juan Ramon creates a sense of comfort.

   “We understand each other. I let him go wherever he wishes and always he takes me where it is I wish to go.”

   The narrative warms the heart and transports the readers to a sanctuary of serenity where everything turns into a metaphor or an expression of beauty. The author invites the reader to see everything through the eyes of a poet.

  The presence of Platero in Juan Ramon Jimenez’s life clearly connects him to his surroundings and people in meaningful ways. The author also appears to relish their shared solitude, which appears to provide Juan Ramon with opportunities to paint and read. Every instant seems to be pregnant with intrigue and fascination.

  This is the kind of book that touches you so deeply, it can move you to tears. It swathes you in a blanket of gratitude for the simple moments of life, the immaterial treasures that make life meaningful.

  The souls of Platero and Juan Ramon coalesce in the magical sweetness of nature. The freshness of the morning breath, the brightness of the moon, the colors of the sunset adopt a new dimension of reality. They become unique moments of elation and healing.  

  Juan Ramon Jimenez’s bond with Platero is so precious and intimate that he does not even perceive Platero as a donkey but as a person.

  “He is tender and loving like a young boy, a small girl, a child… but inside he is strong, he is dry like a rock, like the land he walks.”

   Platero’s gentle spirit permeates the poet’s way of looking at everything; their connection feels eternal, like the seasons and cycles in nature. It transcends the limited scope of their individual lives. Their kindness expresses itself in their interactions with animals, people and landscapes. Even though brief unpleasant situations take us by surprise in the story, the empathetic voice of the poet never fails to bring us back to the gentle, patient attitude of Platero and Juan Ramon to restore a sense of hope, immersing ourselves once again in a moment of balance and peacefulness despite the abrupt despair, grief or the appalling cruelty of others…

     Juan Ramon Jimenez was a poet, editor and critic who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1956. He was born on December 23, 1881 in Moguer, Andalusia, where he wrote Platero and I. He started writing when he was a child. His most famous masterpiece, Platero and I was published in 1914; a longer version of it was later published in 1917.

    You can learn more about his life by visiting the website of the Poetry Foundation:

 https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/juan-ramon-jimaenez

 To visit some of the places in his poetical prose, enjoy this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZR0MNJ4Uuc

 

Here's a video about his biography and poetic work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHgXcxmH6mM

 I recommend the full version of the book. The photo of the book cover in this post showcases an old complete edition in Spanish that I possess. It contains the most delightful drawings. I am lucky to have it…

  To satisfy my curiosity I borrowed an English translation of the book from the library. Unfortunately, many parts have been cut off from the translation. Make sure you find the complete version of this delicate memorable book, whether you read it in English or Spanish. Platero and I has been translated into more than fifty languages.

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to read my writing on the following books:

Deer Man by Geoffroy Delorme

Second Nature: the inner lives of animals

Dirty Gourmet: plant power: Food for your Outdoor Adventures

ManuScrita: Poems on Life, Love and the Nature of Reality by Michael Teichberg

 

“It’s always something to know you’ve done the most you could. But don’t leave off hoping, or it’s of no use doing anything. Hope, hope to the last!”

Charles Dickens

 This time of the year is a period of reflection for some of us. Witnessing so much violence, hate and extremism across the world, the mind seeks the light afforded by wisdom and hope. Today’s poetry collection responds to this need. It is a favorite of mine because it offers a sanctuary of wisdom, a universe of aspirations, and an introspective journey in which the spiritual-self reunites with the bonds that are meaningful to us, the connections that leave an indelible memento in the heart…

 Confusion and helplessness are part of grief, so it is a relief to settle on this poetical land of fortitude to embrace who we are amid the chaos, to acknowledge that life matters, even when others try to convince us that this is not the case. 

 Peace without safety may remain elusive. Yet inner peace is still something one can cultivate amid dire circumstances as a fuel that sustains one’s inner strength and resilience.

 Michael Teichberg’s poetry is unique, but it contains the wisdom and simplicity of Kahlil Gibran’s poetical style. Teichberg’s writing is direct and sincere. I am sharing a fragment of his poem “Anger Management”:

“Always strive for a life of peace.

For the heart easily sways to a negative place.

Let not the things that trouble us, trouble us.

The mind is fortified by the peace we choose and trust.

Existence is simplicity and in simplicity

We find great capacity

To embrace the positivity and beauty of the world.

 

We are quick to react to evil,

Letting brute instinct unfurl.

But self-discipline and reason can reign supreme

To overcome the chaos of our reactive extremes.

Those on the path to Enlightenment

Must embrace the oneness of all, without resentment.

In moments of conflict, patience is key,

For rash actions only serve to multiply the debris”.

 

 

  There is something addictive about Teichberg’s poetry. I feel compelled to understand how his consciousness swims through the mystery and confusion of life’s uncertainty. With many of his poems, I fall into a trance of emotions or thoughts and ideas that transport me…

 His poems are endowed with percipience and a sense of hope, but some of them simply feel magical in the way they help us to connect with our own roots. For example, the first poem, “My Light”, is about his grandmother:

“New loves and friendships may arise,

But none can compare to the familial love

From my first moments to her final ones.

Her laughter, my favorite song.”

When he describes his grandmother, I think of my own grandmother:

“Her warm disposition, a hug with each gaze,

Her selflessness, a rare and precious gem.”              

The metaphor of their bond is accurate and heartening. I feel the same way about my own grandmothers:

“A bond built on laughter, safety and comfort.

Our own temple, a retreat from the world,

Where we talked about everything.”

 This is a poetry collection “to be transported, challenged and moved” while “celebrating life, love and the nature of reality through a mystic’s lens.”

  The land of his poetry is a place where the reader can take a break and reflect upon the complexity of the self, the freedom of being detached from the prisons of stereotypes and labels, without being confined to the tyranny of prejudices.

  I appreciate how Michael Teichberg’s poetical world awakens the reader to see something beyond the expected conventions of reality, reminding us that the mystic’s lens nurtures the mind in a way that may leave the soul in a place that is unfamiliar to others. (The author of this blog post creates that lens from the clay of experiences, discipline and steady intentions).

  Do I agree with every message? Not necessarily. I don’t embrace the animalistic concept he shares in a couple of his poems because this concept can be used as a weapon to place humanity on a pedestal. The author of this post does not believe that humanity has earned such a position. (As I mentioned in another post, I don’t need to agree with everything a writer says to love a book). I also disagree with the drastic distinction made between East and West in his poem “The Divide”. I don't see "the east as being obsessed with the self as part of everyone and everything else." 

    Teichberg’s insightful poetry collection includes prose poetry and photo poetry as well…

 “Being driven to live life from within creates a greater mind that when hatched can achieve anything. A life lived solely externally is one run by shallow desires and limiting moralities.”

 Poetry speaks for itself, so my words here are somewhat redundant. I will close the post on MichaelTeichberg’s ManuScrita with a fragment from his poem “Babbling Bliss”:

 “In the shadowy corners, where ideas take root,

Like mushrooms sprouting amidst the darkness,

Even as authoritarian forces seek to tear them apart,

Silky threads of freedom persist.

 

The heart, propelled by revolutionary fervor,

Is catapulted into bleeding passion for change.

Words possess the power to transform,

Turning brothels into sanctuaries of worship,

Where sin and vulgarity can dissolve the veils of myth.”

 

 Photo by Benjamin Lizardo. Source: Unsplash.com 

 Everyday I think of the hostages abducted by Hamas, and I hope that peaceful negotiations will be reached to set them free as soon as possible. My heart is with them and with their families. Let's not forget them. Let's speak up for their release.

 

 

 

A Spotter's Guide to Invisible Things by Laura Theis

 

 Laura Theis’s poetry is whimsical, playful and provocative. Her poems dance in a duality of qualities: subtle messages that are deep in their implications. Sadness and humor sometimes complement each other. 

 The originality of her literary approach marvels the reader while communicating something about the world, society or human nature.

  Her poetical world immerses itself in the life stories of people to illuminate slices of experiences, or maybe to just honor the beauty that goes unnoticed when we don’t take the time to pay attention to it. For example, the delight of a sunset offering a delicate farewell to the day.

  I feel a connection to the title of this collection… It appears to allude to those who perceive nuances around them. It refers to a certain perception, the acknowledgement of an ability to sense something that tends to go unnoticed by most people. Those invisible things may be aspects of reality to which others are callous and indifferent.

   Some of her poems in A Spotter’s Guide to Invisible Things contain an unexpected ending that may surprise the reader. Others celebrate the simplicity of life, exposing the essence of unique moments of contemplation.

   The evocative power of her words kindles a sense of intrigue, a musical rhythm skillfully woven into it. One is left wondering about the characters that hover in those poems, treading with soft steps through the stanzas, never to come back again. We are left longing for more...

   I thank the poet for kindly sharing her book with me for My Writing Life.

   Laura Theis was born and raised in Germany, in a town where all the streets and roads had names of mythology or fairy tales. She now lives in the UK and writes in English. She received a Distinction from Oxford University’s MSt in Creative Writing. Her works have appeared in Poetry, Mslexia, Rattle, Magma, Strange Horizons, and in various anthologies.

  Her Elgin Award-nominated debut How to Extricate Yourself, an Oxford Poetry Library Book-of-the-Month, won the Brian Dempsey Memorial Prize. She was the recipient of the Society of Authors’ Welton Award, the AM Heath Prize, EAL Oxford Brookes Poetry Prize, Mogford Prize, Hammond House International Literary Award, the Alpine Fellowship and a Forward Prize Nomination. A runner-up for the Mairtin Crawford Award. She was shortlisted for the Women Poets’ Prize, the Bridport Prize, the Margaret Reid Poetry Prize, the Hippocrates Prize and a finalist for numerous other literary awards, including the National Poetry Competition and the BBC short story Award.

   I will share a fragment of one of the poems from this collection (the letters are not capitalized):

the silent sea

 

 it is not perhaps

our greatest crime

 

hardly worth mentioning amongst

all the heinous acts of pollution

 

oil spills and melting

ice caps but

 

we have stolen the silence

from under the waves

 

the waters that live here cannot

recall a life without the constant

 

drone of cruise ship motors

which have turned their oceans

 

into the kind of noise box

familiar to anyone

 

who ever tried to have

a conversation in a crowded nightclub

 

there’s no room for nuance

when communication means

 

someone shouting something

over a background din

 

knowing that whether or not

they will be understood

 

is left up to the guess work

of lip reading

 

the past months of sudden quiet

marked the first time the whales

 

were granted the bliss of real stillness…

 

California Dreaming by Lily Iona MacKenzie

 

 “The Capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention.”- Julia Margaret Cameron

  Mrs. MacKenzie’s poetry is an exquisite dance of words on the crevices of both pain and joy. She grew up on a farm in Canada, where her surroundings inspired her to see the beauty in everything.  

 It is not easy to summon up a common thread to all these poems.

 A number of poems at the beginning reflect on the inquisitive nature of the art; the last few poems of the collection seem to harmonize with the first section, for the poet conjures up questions that lack answers.

  A section is dedicated to the impact of Covid-19, and another one deals with a lyrical exploration of emotions. Her words carve a gentle trail into the soul of the reader.

  There is an array of her poems that meditates on the power of specific masterpieces by Matisse, Vermeer and other artists. The images of the paintings are included, so one gets to “see” the poems through her words.

 The musical rhythm of her verses along with the ingenuous quirks embedded in some of her poems assemble to create a unique style of expression. I think the magic of her poetry is also revealed in the variety of themes and elements she offers.

 I find the author intriguing. I have added one of her novels to my reading list: Freefall: A Divine Comedy.

 Lily Iona Mackenzie’s literary works have appeared in more than 160 literary magazines, and she teaches literature and creative writing at the University of San Francisco, California.

This lady's enigmatic gaze has captivated the attention of various generations of people. Mrs. Mackenzie traces the energy of this intriguing painting by Johannes Vermeer in one of her poems. I will share a fragment of it:

“It’s the contrasts

that make her enigmatic.

Her lips hover on the verge of sensuality,

her expression

chaste as well as inviting,

pale skin

lit from within.

 

A force of nature, she can’t be contained

for long in that frame, watching

the world pass her by.”

 

 One could say that Mrs. Mackenzie’s poetry celebrates the power of art, so I expected Mrs. Mackenzie would transcend the boundary of focusing on the female artistic muse and include the artworks of women artists as well. My curiosity propelled me to search for them in her collection, but I was sad and disappointed to see that no poem was dedicated to the masterpieces of women artists.

 Women artists have worked as hard as men to create their masterpieces. If we celebrate art, shouldn’t we celebrate the art of women artists as well?

 Unfortunately, biases against women artists continue to be alive and well.

 According to a website from Yale University, research has shown that women’s art appears less frequently than men’s art at auctions and galleries. A study of Yale Art School graduates over 120 years suggests that institutions pose bigger obstacles than market participants. If you attend art auctions or wander through an art gallery or museum, you will find that the majority of artworks is likely to be by men.

 One study found that men’s work made up 96 percent of art sold at auctions around the world from 2000 to 2017.  This may be due to the biases of buyers, curators or museum managers against women’s works. Institutional barriers may play a role too.

 Women’s names are still less likely to be mentioned in books, so there is less awareness on their works. Therefore, curators need to work harder to support women that are not in the spotlight. The biases against women artists have been well documented, and I am sharing a few links at the bottom of this post to help you learn about this important issue.

 

  California Dreaming was published by Shanti Arts Press.

 I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for visiting My Writing Life blog, a space of awareness, reflection, inspiration.

 Till next month.

 

Supplementary reading material:

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/gender-discrimination-art-study-2171375

https://nmwa.org/support/advocacy/get-facts/

https://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/is-the-art-market-fair-to-women

 https://www.npr.org/2020/01/24/799163534/gender-bias-reveals-consequences-for-female-artists

The Impossibility of Love by Kate Wilson

 

  Kate Wilson sculpted a marriage between her poetry and Vincent Van Gogh’s artworks, evoking emotions and messages that capture the essence of his oeuvre.

  Each poem harmonizes with one specific painting. I read the book twice, because the second time I searched for each work of art. Traveling through time and space I dived into the soul of Van Gogh, revisiting the sense of communion he experienced with whatever or whoever inspired him to draw and paint.

   Kate Wilson’s poetry contemplates Vincent’s artworks with tenderness; it is rich in imagery, devoid of cliches, engaging.

 One of the saddest poems is about a woman called Sien. It relates to the drawing entitled “Sorrow”.  It is about the woman he loved, whose life was ruined by an addiction to alcohol. I’m only sharing a fragment of this delicate poem:

“She is sorrow

in pencil and parchment,

discolored over time.

 

I cannot see her face,

but I can hear her

shake and shudder

with the suddenness

of motherhood.”

 

  I believe, however, that the title of the collection, “The Impossibility of Love”, does not represent Vincent Van Gogh as a person and an artist. Vincent Van Gogh was love. He was inspired by love, and love was the foundation of his artworks and letters. Every medium he applied became an expression of it.

  Love was the light of inspiration that guided him through his creative journey.

  Kate Wilson’s poetry collection awakens all the senses and pulls at the reader’s heartstrings; she makes this possible through her artistry and emotional connection with Van Gogh. Her poetical world seems to paint at times her own platonic feelings for the artist.

The Impossibility of Love was published by Bosporus press.

I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Counting Breaths by Jen Kress

 

“tenderness will

always remain,

look at the horizon and watch

for a new day will come…”

Jen Kress (From her poem “Meraki”)

To inhabit the world of poetry is to sail a raft on unsteady waves while relishing the vastness of the sky and savoring the beauty of each moment with a sense of ease and hope.

To inhabit the world of poetry is to meet the uncertainty of life with courage, breathing in the light that keeps oneself strong and balanced.

 Jen Kress’s poetry collection is an adventurous quest for resilience, a poetical oasis where the waters of solitude and understanding intertwine into a harmony of souls to persevere and look forward to a new sunrise.

 Her personal journey evokes the depths of inner joy and sadness, merging them into breathtaking stories. Her expressive skills are outstanding; her metaphors evince intimate aspects of herself, painting the quandaries, struggles and longings of her heart with delicate precision.

 I will be revisiting her poems in search of new meanings and inspiration.

 

“This journey light, to follow through

my tunneled dreams;

heaven’s woven map hides your chosen path,

a constellation, home… picture the stars above,

a blanket littered with uncharted possibility!”

 

There may be no clear answers to life uncertainties and mysteries, but there is poetry…

I thank the poet for sharing Counting Breaths with me for My Writing Life blog.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also appreciate my writing on “The Winds through the Trees at Night.”

 

Till next year.

 

 

The Wind through the Trees at Night

 

“Always remember your voice is a powerful weapon and should be used to uplift the powerless; fight injustice, and bring people of all backgrounds together.”

William Wright, Jr.

 Painting emotional landscapes through struggles and hardships, William Wright molded a collection of poems that weave words into a fascinating literary tapestry. His poetry sparks the imagination and explores the labyrinths that lead to resilience.

Finally free from the nightmare

Each shade and sound

Reverberates

Like a new found chorus.

Waking up

Thrilled to march

For the very first time

On the other side of fear

Into the large hearts of kin.

 He blends nature with feelings and emotions, creating a space to find solace and peace amid the chaos. Some of his poems remind me of the writing style of poets like Juan Ramon Gimenez and Julia de Burgos.

   In the essence of his poetical quest, he creates inner worlds, which sometimes coalesce with the places that always stay with him.

 It’s where we never grew old

Ashem or dull

Our secreted space

In the galaxy’s spiral

 

When our words were alive

And the outer world sighed

When our joyful cries

Filled the soul of Savannah

 

We live forever in the bloom of her wild colors

In the boiling pulse

Of her seaborne song

 

William Wright,Jr. is a poet from Southeast San Diego, California. His previous published poetry books are The Slums of Nightfall (2016) and The Rhythms of the Eternal Uprising (2017). His poems have also appeared in poetry anthologies and magazines. The Wind through the Trees at Night is currently available for free online on lulu.com.

   

 It has been devastating to see the loss of life and the destruction that the Russian military is causing in Ukraine. On February 24 Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine, a democratic free country. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is illegal, cruel and irrational. Millions of Ukrainians had to flee from their homes.

I am providing a link where you can find organizations that supply humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/09/heres-a-list-of-top-rated-charities-to-help-the-ukraine-relief-effort.html

 

  I want to say thank you to the journalists who risk their lives every day to report the atrocities that Vladimir Putin’s soldiers are causing in Ukraine.  

 The Russian military has been attacking hospitals, schools, apartments, homes, shelters. Their goal is clearly to kill as many Ukrainian people as they can.

 Human Rights Watch is an international organization documenting the war crimes taking place in Ukraine. People in Ukraine have been tortured and killed in their basements by Russian soldiers. Ukrainian women are raped and killed in front of their children.

How can anybody stay silent or support Vladimir Putin?

Beware of Putin’s apologists, supporters and admirers. They are dangerous to humanity and to the entire planet.

 This week Dmitry Muratov, Russian Nobel Peace Prize winner, who intends to auction off his medal to support Ukrainian refugees, was attacked with red paint in Russia. Thousands of people in Russia have been arrested for simply expressing their opposition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

  I urge you to use your voice to fight against the censorship and the lies orchestrated by the Russian government to attack Ukraine. Speak up against the atrocities caused by Vladimir Putin in Ukraine. Those atrocities are acts of terrorism. People are dying every day because of Putin’s abuse of power. (Please, bear in mind that this is not a political matter. It is about basic human dignity).

Use your unique voice to spread the truth.

 The truth matters.

 The truth will win in the end.

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/08/journalist-expose-russia-atrocities-ukraine

https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/07/europe/ukraine-mother-shot-russian-forces-bucha-intl-cmd/index.html

https://www.insider.com/youtube-suspended-the-account-of-a-chinese-vlogger-wang-jixian-2022-4

https://www.reporternews.com/story/opinion/contributors/2022/04/13/russian-soldiers-war-crimes-ukraine-bellingcat/7304843001/

https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-ukraine-putin-economic-adviser-halt-war-months-andrei-illarionov-2022-4

From a Black Girl to All Black Girls

 

“Excellence and elegance with every step I take,

Labels are something I transcend, nothing holds

Me back,”

Alexa Christian, from the poem “My Little Brown Self”

 

  Showering her readers with the confidence drawn from the love of her foremothers, Alexa’s words are bold and vibrant.  Her verses and monologues plant a seed to be watered and nurtured with the courage of creativity.

“From a Black Girl to All Black Girls” is a collection of poems, monologues and a play by Alexa Christian, a very young poet from Tennessee. Through her writing she pays tribute to the wisdom of her foremothers—“mothers, mommas, nanas, grannies”-- while inviting girls to express themselves.

 Alexa’s poetry kindles our curiosity to learn more about her ancestors, and I hope she will continue to write about them in future books.

  After sharing her own poetry, Alexa provides space and ideas to unleash the readers’ creative energy. Alexa urges her readers to honor their dreams and their own voices. Her poetry book also contains a literary glossary and reading recommendations.

 Alexa is convinced that fostering a love for poetry early on should be a crucial aspect of education.

  Opening up to a diversity of voices will pave the way to more fair societies. In various subtle ways the voices of women of color are often ignored or distorted by biases and prejudices, and this can undermine their right to full expression.

 It is also necessary to enrich school curricula by acknowledging and celebrating the contributions of women of color.

   Today I have the honor to interview Alexa Christian, author of “From a Black Girl to All Black Girls”. Thank you, Alexa, for your contribution to this post.

 

Julia:  What is the purpose of your book? What inspired you to write it and publish it?

Alexa: The purpose of my book is to ignite and fan the interest of poetry in students - primarily in the levels of kindergarten through grade 3. Yet the love of poetry, monologues, and playwriting are for every age. My inspiration for writing and publishing FABG Vol. 1 was the simple longing for people (other than my mother who has always been a gracious audience) to read, and understand, and relate to the complexity of my feelings and life during early 2020. My purpose is also to give others a chance to write their own thoughts with the provided space in my book. 

 

Julia: In your book you included a play that grabbed my attention. It is about Ella, a woman who is compelled to write a book and publish it, but there are unexpected forces at play that try to restrain her. What gave you the idea to write about it?

 

Alexa: The story behind Ella (who was named after my great-grandmother, the mother of my mother's father) and the play was given to me by my then unnoticed hidden desire of publishing my intimate thoughts. The writing process was interesting for me to explore how to go about the storyline, I gave a non-happy happy ending, which surprised even me. From a true lover of 'it all works out beautifully' story tropes. 

 

Julia: How would you improve school curricula to allow the voices of black women to be heard? Do you think schools teach enough about black women writers, artists and scientists?

 

 Alexa: I would improve school curricula to allow the voices of black women to be heard by requiring books written by black writers in several subjects. And by integrating poetry and sign language, which statistically raises reading comprehension and focus. Covid-19 hit and is still affecting students in both apparent and invisible ways. Scholars deserve a revised, more in depth and purposeful curriculum. Schools do not presently teach enough about black women writers, artists, scientists but making this change will give exponentially positive results across all levels and demographics. 

 

Julia: What are your goals for the future?

Alexa: My goals for the future are for all demographics whether in public or private schools to get the best instruction and a presence of poetry and sign language embedded into multiple grade instruction. 

 I have been blessed in my life to be instructed to present a report on Maya Angelou, who authored my favorite poem - In & Out of Time (4th grade). I enthusiastically participated in a mandatory class-wide Reading Iditarod (5th grade). My school gave my classmates and me field trips to see the movies 42 and Hidden Figures (7th + 8th grade) and it certainly doesn't hurt to have a cool English teacher for a mom who encouraged my love for summer reading. I can't imagine not pouring back into communities. 

The From A Black Girls Series is available on Alexachristian.com 

 Thank you to Julia and to all the readers!

 Thank you so much again for believing in me and my book. 

 

“I” and My Mouth and Their Irresistible Life in Language

It is refreshing to read Susan Parenti’s poetry collection in this era of oppressive shallowness. Her poetry pokes fun at our ego-driven society and unfurls the layers of social hypocrisy and discrimination while it incites us to rejoice in the spirit of friendship and the glorious moments of everyday life. 
 She bolsters our confidence to speak up through the arts.

 Her verses are the voice of a free spirit who is not afraid of questioning the rigidity of social conventions. She asks questions and exposes the absurd side of reality, impelling us to revisit it from new perspectives and acknowledging that personal experience is our best teacher.

I will take the liberty to share one of her poems:

You think your luck will come in the form of a grant or award,

with successful prestigious people doing what they can do: confer prestige;

that your luck will wear the face of cameras, or dollar amounts, your name

on the door: Professor______ , your name in the newspapers, on people’s lips.

You think your luck will look these ways.

Thus you look around for your luck, and, not seeing the form you think it will take,

say, I have No Luck.

The picture, Der Niesen, by Klee, 1915, blue mountain and colored trees,

stands on the wall.

But your luck has taken other forms:

friends, parks in your neighborhood given to you as a legacy from

far-thinking predecessors, ideas, a group spirit, the ability to feel so

glad at reading a playful sentence, a talent at love.

Your luck sits in the room with you; you don’t notice.

Goes with you each day; you don’t recognize it.