Stacks of Kindnesses - by Lori Hetteen - her third tiny book of seventeen syllable poetry. It is amazing what one can say in only seventeen syllables. You can see all three in my stories, and I highly recommend them all. đź“š
The Voices We Carry - by J.S. Park - I found J.S. on Instagram and have appreciated his voice so much. This book is his writing about all the voices inside of us - our own and others’ - that fight and clamor and make us who we are. I opened the book to page 121 and read, “[the voices] are trying to heal something that wiggles underneath the surface of our guts, something that’s pulsing and writhing down there. We exalt ourselves to avoid it. We condemn ourselves to prevent it. We exalt others to deflect it. We condemn others to fix it.” And a free pages later, “Intersecting with the cross, there’s this gift of resurrection, an invitation into restored life for a heart as flawed and fatal as mine, and it shows me that God is in the business of breathing life into busted places.” I am looking forward to reading all of it!
The Alchemist - by Paul Coelho - a kindred spirit recommended this book to me and I have read it once and plan to read it again, pencil in hand, and underline and digest many passages. “To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation.” “If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And if you improve upon the present, what comes later will also be better.” “We are afraid of losing what we have: life, possessions, health, property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world are written by the same hand.”
Pilgrim - by David White - a collection of poetry by an author Ben appreciates. Sometimes Ben sends me a poem to savor. I thought that I would purchase this book for him. The poem titled “Fifty” is truly beautiful.
Seven Aunts - by Staci Lola Drouillard - was gifted to me by the University of Minnesota press to read and review. I am on page 33 and am captivated. “Each woman’s story is vital to tell - not because they were famous astronauts, inventors, politicians, or war heroes, but because they had the courage to live in this world at all. And that, for me, is enough.” This book is real stories about women who matter a lot. As do we all. The ordinary is amazing and necessary and beautiful.
Call Us What We Carry - by Amanda Gorman - ever since hearing Amanda’s inaugural poem and her recitation, I knew I would buy collections of her poetry. “Children understand / Even grime is a gift, / Even what is mired is miraculous, / What is marred is still marvelous.” “ Words matter, for / language is an ark. / Yes, / Language is an art, / An articulate artifact. / Language is a life craft. / Yes, / Language is a life raft.”