Paperback
Retail Price: $12.95
Genesis of Poems in a Global Stage
Hype of globalization is inescapable in today’s world and it claims to make the world smaller every day. At the same time, that small world seems to have now been divided into countless islands with unwelcome boundaries. In fact, the ongoing phenomenon that ‘our world is being broken down into fragments by narrow domestic walls’ is clearly on the rise. Technological advances constantly preach: fast is good, comfort is progress and information is knowledge. At the least, such mindsets warrant close scrutiny. With insightful observations in tandem with hardcore realities of life from around the world, the poems here tend to challenge progress as portrayed by conventional wisdom, reaffirm the power of human spirit, uphold values of our deep-seated aspirations and assert that real good things happen only slowly – one step a time. The poems draw their inspiration from tangible, concrete sources around the world; it may be a friend, a memory, a visit to a place, an event, an aspiration, a conflict, an insult or ever-resonating love. The author walks around in a 120-year old research laboratory of Dmitri Mendeleev in St Petersburg, Russia and deeply admires how his invention of Periodic Table has connected the rest of the world and served as a metaphor of what is universally good. The poem draws a true parallel between every element and every human through the words: ‘For it (element) has a core and a face/a specific home with address.’ In the poem titled ‘Lead: My Saga in Flint, MI,’ hundreds of children and elderly in the wealthiest country were inflicted with severe lead poisoning but it was truly a man-made crisis perpetrated by human greed. We see a toxic lead molecule that is claiming no responsibility: ‘I committed no sin/I meant no harm/your greed made me homeless for no fault of mine.’ In the poem, Soccer: the Cradle of Ultimate Democracy, the author sees in this simple game a level playing field and a unifying force to connect all around the globe. For his long-lost extremist friend in the poem ‘My Friend from Seventies,’ a question raises its head ‘Who really perished/and who would live forever?’ The author has traveled to over fifty countries and in the poem ‘Key to Joy’, he first laments ‘I observe as I travel/Borders kill more than save.’ He later declares ‘Contrast is the mother of all harmony/that we must learn to accept.’ The words ‘happiness’ and ‘competition’ are omni-present in today’s society and ironically, they are constantly in conflict with each other. In ‘Slow Down,’ which gives its title to the entire collection, the poet simplifies the challenge ‘There isn’t any road to happiness/road is the happiness.’ And later, ‘Turning to each other is more fun/than turning against.’ At the end, these poems challenge the status quo, force us take a pause and at times trigger the question: Are we on right path?
Paperback
Format: 6 x 9 Black & White Paperback, 66 pages
Publisher: Outskirts Press (Oct 23, 2019)
ISBN10: 1977218946
ISBN13: 9781977218940
Genre: POETRY / General
My representative Jamie was always extremely professional and helpful during the entire process of my book publication. She always responded very quickly to requests and was always helpful throughout the entire process. She is a great role model and a great asset to the Outskirts Press family. I will highly recommend Outskirts Press to my friends and associates and also look forward to doing more business in the future. I am extremely pleased with my book publication and consider this a major milestone in my life . Thank you all very much...
Lawrence N. Weston
author of Avoiding Self Imposed Adversities
From the beginning, and throughout the process of publishing my first book, I felt that I was in the hands of a pro. Dana always took the time to answer my questions in detail and swiftly, and if she didn't have 100% confidence, she researched the question and got back to me. I was very pleased with her and I am also thankful that I was paired with her as an Author Rep.
David Matityahu Ben Avraham
author of There's No Such Thing as Magic Blood
Bridget, as well as the entire Outskirts Press team working with me, are exceptional. They held my hand through the entire process in addition to providing me with welcomed support and encouragement. I am looking forward to our next project together. I have recommended Outskirts Press to several freelance authors in my area. Thank you for making a potentially hectic journey so enjoyable and so satisfying.
Paneque y Diaz
author of More Than What They Seemed
I was very happy with my author rep's responses to me. She did a superb job of answering my questions and helping me through the editing process. She was always available when I needed her. I'm delighted with the outcome--my book looks good and it's selling! Thank you.
Kathleen O'Brien
author of Reclaim Your Right To Grow Old
A great experience with Outskirts Press. I learned a lot in this process. I will do it all over again. Thank you so much.
Esther A. Ota
author of Children: My Heritage - A Testimony
The one-on-one with Lisa was great. Especially the phone call picking out styles, font, cover template etc. She even got a vote on the color. I so wanted to have my daughter's painting as the art work on the cover and she gave me a way to do that. Her guidance helped turn my dream into a reality and sometimes it is still hard to believe until I look at my book. Thank you.
Nancy L. Regas
author of The Art of Being a School Counselor
Outskirts Press has perfected the art of self-publishing. Their process is simple and seamless with everything happening in a timely manner, giving authors complete control over how their book will appear inside and out. And the people there are fantastic. They’re friendly, knowledgeable, courteous, patient and quick to reply to emails. What more can an author ask?
Needless to say, I’ve found a home here at Outskirts Press.
Jim Black
author of Life with Bingo, Miracle on the Gridiron, Football Hero, and Ezra
Outskirts Press changed my life for the better. They turned my adoption memoir into a book that is not only beautiful to look at, it is pleasurable to read, easy to purchase online, and in less than a month already has had a profound impact on many people. A truly amazing company with a heart. Deepest gratitude!
Paul Kimball
author of We Are All Human Beings
The Outskirts Press team was helpful, attentive, prompt and detail oriented during the publishing process. It really felt like a team effort, and everyone worked hard to create an awesome final product that was my fully published book!
Eric B.
author of Realm of the Invader
Having just published my eighth book with Outskirts Press, I can attest to it being a great experience, and I look forward to publishing number nine. Thanks for a great job.
James A. Hunter
author of Soft And Gentle 8
I would like to thank everyone at Outskirts Press for helping me getting my book (Storms of Jaycard) into print. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would write a book and have it published. Once again, I would like to thank everyone at Outskirts Press for making my book dream come true.
Joseph J. Myer
author of Storms of Jaycard