This month's featured books by IVJ authors are "Gallery" by Howard Richard Debs, "Atsa" by Raymond Greiner, and "Animal Crackers" by Richard Ratliff will make terrific presents for those you love. Check them out!
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"Gallery-A Collection of Pictures and Words" by Howard Richard Debs
Available on Amazon
Visit the Author's Website: https://howarddebs.com/
Gallery includes fiction, essay, poetry, original and vintage photography. Gallery is an exhibition to explore life's journey and its encounters of all kinds along the way. The intention is to echo the energy of life and living in its myriad manifestations and the book consciously uses a bold literary architecture in the attempt. For much more insight and inside information about the book and its content visit the author's website howarddebs.com/What they're saying about his work...
"as always seems to be the case with your poems, I learned something in reading this that I hadn't known about." --Tim Green, Editor Rattle
"You really captured the essence of the blues in this poem. It made me want to run to my mother's house and play the records she kept on the bookshelf in her living room"--Nortina Simmons, Editor Sediments Literary-Arts Journal
"a powerful lesson about the poetry of bearing witness." -- Greenwood Writer's Guild
"a powerful lesson about the poetry of bearing witness." -- Greenwood Writer's Guild
"Atsa" by Raymond Greiner
This story traces the life of a half Navajo infant boy abandoned by his birth mother on the steps of a Catholic Navajo Mission School. The mission’s staff cared for him during early childhood. Betty, the school’s cook was Navajo and named the abandoned child Atsa. Interpreted definition is eagle. Atsa was born mute causing social challenges he was forced to confront. A retired college professor widower eventually adopts him. Atsa displayed high level academic prowess and this trait combined with sign language and written responses allowed him to transcend his disability and achieve a medical degree from The University Of New Mexico on a full academic scholarship. His adoptive father adds significant input to Atsa’s life combined with his formative years, as Sister Cynthia served as Atsa’s surrogate mother at the mission school and influenced Atsa’s progression through adulthood.
Please see the review written by Cherifa Zekhnine in this issue of IVJ!
"Animal Crackers" by Richard Ratliff
Available on Amazon
Animal Crackers, by Richard Ratliff, extends his poetic talents to the natural world of animals. Contained in this circus volume, Ratliff once again reflects on life with both humor and intellect. From the extinct sabertooth tiger to wascally wabbits, Ratliff covers a wide range of critters in each poem. Following up his previous work titled 3420 Backyard Conversations, the poet imitates fatherhood, sports, politics, professions, and more. Kick up your feet and enjoy this amusing safari as you will find nothing escapes his imagination, no matter the beast.
Richard Ratlliff is a poet with a sense of humor and play and his new book Animal Crackers is a delight for children and adults alike. This little book focuses on animals from bees to giraffes and monkeys. Ratiliff loves word play and manages to find wonderful puns that reflect both animal properties of animals and behaviors of humans. Admittedly, some of the book's jokes may be a little too complicated for younger children that shouldn't dissuade you from purchasing the book. Not only is this book's poetry of entertaining and musical with lots of rhymes, and onomatopoeia, but also the pages are filled with colorful whimsical illustrations that will delight any child and any adult who remembers being a child.
