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Aug 112017
 

Merlin Stone Remembered

Merlin Stone Remembered is a tribute to the renowned feminist, author, artist, historian, and speaker. With unparalleled access to Merlin’s unpublished writings, photos, and personal stories, this book is a significant contribution to women’s studies, spirituality, and the ongoing struggle for gender equality.

Known for her groundbreaking book When God Was a Woman, Merlin Stone was a pioneer of the Women’s Movement and the reclaiming of the Great Goddess tradition of the Western world.

In this phenomenal book, new light is shed upon Merlin’s philosophy and methodology as you take a memorable journey through her life.

Discover Merlin Stone, author of When God Was A Woman, through the eyes of her life partner of 34 years, Lenny Schneir (1941-2017), who affirms his love for Merlin, his passion to keep her legacy alive and his journey converting from chauvinist to feminist. Readers have praised their touching true story—part love story, part memoir, and part transformation of a diamond-in-the-rough gambler to a devoted husband and passionate feminist.

BUY IT TODAY…SPECIAL DISCOUNTED PRICE!*

After good sales, the publisher, Llewellyn Worldwide, was kind enough to offer me remainder copies at a lovely, discounted price so I can still sell you a book. But,  *  a bit like the old “bandwagon” ad-sell, Buy it today before we run out! Originally $22.95, now: $11.95 includes free USPO shipping



CLICK HERE FOR A LINK TO A FLORIDA BOOK AWARD INTERVIEW for Gold Medal Award for the book

It is so great to remember Merlin—to remember the time when I first read When God was a Woman and Ancient Mirrors of Womanhood. It is great to have so much detail about her life and her work. Thank you for this remembrance.” — Olympia Dukakis, Oscar-winning actress and author.

A Note about Lenny Schneir: Lenny Schneir, Merlin Stone’s life partner for 34 years, passed away on May 31, 2017.

You can click this link to read a tribute to him.

To honor Merlin’s memory and keep her legacy alive, he invited his friend, author/poet Dr. David B. Axelrod, to curate Merlin’s papers, write and edit a book that documents and celebrates Merlin’s life. It includes many unknown facts about Merlin as well as previously unpublished writings and a reprinting of “Unraveling the Myth of Adam and Eve” from  When God Was a Woman, which Merlin designated as the best chapter to represent her million-selling book. Dr. Axelrod invited the noted feminist author/teacher Gloria Orenstein to write the introduction, and feminist author/psychologist Carol Thomas to add chapters to the book.

MERLIN STONE REMEMBERED

2014 FLORIDA BOOK AWARDS GOLD MEDAL WINNER, best non-fiction book.

2015 Coalition of Visionary Resources, COVR AWARD for Best Autobiography/Biography.

Watch an interview with the authors of Merlin Stone Remembered.

A Note about When God Was a Woman

“In the beginning, people prayed to the Creatress of Life, the Mistress of Heaven. At the very dawn of religion, God was a woman. Do you remember?” —Merlin Stone, When God Was a Woman.

When Merlin Stone’s first book, The Paradise Papers, was released in England in 1976 it became an instant sensation. When it was re-released in America under the title, When God Was a Woman, it exploded onto college campuses and elsewhere for its groundbreaking research regarding the role of women in ancient religions.

Merlin always felt guided by a force outside her control to correct historical information about female deities as she was convinced that the role of women, particularly Goddesses, had been all but erased from history.

We hope that Merlin Stone Remembered will, once again, bring this important information to the public’s attention, at a time when it’s especially needed by those of us who are concerned about world peace, preserving the earth, and understanding the world’s cultures.

Merlin said that early Gods were actually Goddesses and she traveled the world, alone, living out of a backpack, in order to do the research necessary to prove that her instincts were correct, ancient religions were matriarchal.

Praise for Merlin Stone

“This book is paradigm-shifting. It should be read by all those who yearn for miracles, as well as by those who still need proof to believe that they are possible. It gives us hope for the regeneration of compassionate and nurturing relations between all forms of interconnected life on our planet, now and in the future.” —Gloria Orenstein, Prof. Emerita, Comparative Literature and Gender Studies, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

“A lovely and loving tribute to the late Merlin Stone, a foremother of Goddess feminism. … What a gift to those of us familiar with Stone’s work, as well as those who want to know more about her life, both personal and professional.” —Judith Laura, author of Goddess Spirituality for the 21st Century: From Kabbalah to Quantum Physics.

Table of Contents, Merlin Stone Remembered

Preface, by Carol Thomas
Editor’s Note, by David B. Axelrod
Introduction: Transforming His/story into Her/story. Merlin Stone’s Dramatic Entrance onto the Stage of Our Story, by Gloria F. Orenstein
Merlin Stone Timeline
My Life With Merlin Stone, by Lenny Schneir
Poems, by Lenny Schneir
Merlin in Her Own Words
Ancient Mirrors of Womanhood: A Reflection on the Poetic Genius of Merlin Stone, by David B. Axelrod
Unpublished Writings, by Merlin Stone:
The Inner Voice: Intuition
The Global Garden
Women in Armed Combat
Two Poems
One Summer on the Way to Utopia or Dreams of Getting There: Excerpts from a Novel
Three Thousand Years of Racism: Recurring Patterns in Racism
The Importance of Merlin Stone, by Lenny Schneir
Merlin Stone, Artist and Sculptor, by David B. Axelrod
I Remember Merlin, by Cynthia Stone Davis
A Gallery of Photos and Artifacts
A Great Sense of Hope
The Legacy of Merlin Stone, by Carol Thomas
Epilogue, by Carol Thomas
Acknowledgments
Bibliography & Works Cited
About the Authors
Other Books by Merlin Stone
When God Was A Woman

“Lenny Schneir’s tribute to Merlin Stone—her life, her person, her work—touched me to the core. The book is both humble and powerful, proclaiming as it does his unconditional (and undying) love for a creative, independent woman, who expressed her own mind and lived out her destiny. A fine archival gathering of photos, as well as his stories and poems, plus her unpublished writings, the book is a peek into the mysterious, private world of this iconic feminist woman who changed history.” —Vicki Noble, Feminist shamanic healer and author of The Double Goddess: Women Sharing Power

You may also wish to buy Merlin Stones book:
Ancient Mirrors of Womanhood: A Treasury of Goddess and Heroine Lore from Around the World

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

DR. CAROL THOMAS was the holder of a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Saint Thomas of Villanova University in Miami. She also holds a Ph.D. in Literature and Psychology from Union Institute and University, and a doctorate in Applied Theology (D.Min.) from Pittsburgh’s Theological Seminary. She taught Women’s Studies, Psychology, and Literature at the University of Connecticut, Bowie State, as well as in additional colleges and universities. She also taught creative writing for Saint Leo University and for Gavle University in Storvik, Sweden. During her sojourn of eleven years at the University of Connecticut, she enjoyed private practice as a member of Shoreline Psychiatric Associates. At Niantic Women’s prison she taught for Mohegan College and was instrumental in facilitating the publication of a book of art and poetry written by the incarcerated women and published by the State of Connecticut’s Counsel for the Arts. She has published a book on the Women’s Movement and three books of poetry. Dr. Thomas and her husband, Frank, a retired surgeon, had a horse ranch in Oklahoma where they resided for a number of years, and a home in Palm Coast, Florida, where Carol lived until her passing in 2017.

LEONARD SCHNEIR was born in Brooklyn, New York. He lived at home with his sister Renée, and his mother, Betty. His father, Irving, a shoe manufacturer, only occasionally lived with them. In 1947, at the age of seven, he moved to Kew Gardens, Queens, where he became an “expert” at roaming the streets, as his memoir amply recounts. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1962, from the University of Denver. Thereafter, he served in the Army, rising to sergeant E5, honorably discharged in 1968. After a series of jobs, first for his father, and at other sales positions, he moved to his home at 184 6th Avenue, New York City, in that same year. There, he settled into the life of a professional poker player. Later, he became a major collector of gambling memorabilia in partnership with the American playing-card authority, Gene Hochman. As an expert in that area, Lenny authored the book, Gambling Collectibles: A Sure Winner (Schiffer Publishing: Atglen, PA, 1993). Lenny met Merlin in September, 1976, and she moved in soon thereafter. They continued at their 6th Avenue residence until 2005, at which time they moved to Daytona Beach, Florida. After Merlin’s death, Lenny continued to live in Daytona Beach until he died in the same room, in the same bed where Merlin passed. At his request, his and Merlin’s ashes were combined and may be visited at the south corner of the Andy Romano Park in Ormond Beach, Florida.

DAVID B. AXELROD has written and published hundreds of articles and works of fiction and non-fiction ranging from 21 books of poetry to dramatic writing for stage and television, freelance journalism, stories and memoirs. He holds a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts; an M.A. from The Johns Hopkins University; an M.F.A. from the University of Iowa, and a Ph.D. from Union Institute. He is recipient of three Fulbright Awards, including his serving as Fulbright’s first official Poet-in-Residence in the People’s Republic of China. He is a Volusia County, Florida, Poet Laureate, and before that, served as Suffolk County, Long Island’s Poet Laureate. Dr. Axelrod’s CV notes that he has performed at hundreds of venues internationally including for the American Library Association and at the United Nations. As a non-fiction writer and journalist, he was published by the New York Times, Newsday, and Harper Collins. Dr. Axelrod’s four children—Jessica Robinson, Emily Axelrod, Daniel Axelrod and Aileen Axelrod—are all working professionals in the New York area.  David B. Axelrod is Director of Creative Happiness Institute, Inc., in Daytona Beach, where he lives with his wife, Sandy Martin.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR QUESTIONS, CONTACT:

Dr. David B. Axelrod

Email: axelrod@poetrydoctor.org

Phone: 386-337-4567.

Jun 072017
 

 

Who is the best poet in America? 

Perhaps you are? Or, perhaps you know someone you think is a wonderful poet though others may not even know that person.

We would like to think that real talent will distinguish itself but so many factors intervene that the question of who is the best poet in America really can’t be answered. Indeed, the question should always make for a rousing debate!

The problem is, however, that the politics of poetry, the competitive nature of people more broadly, leads to list making. Where there are lists, there are those on top, those on the bottom, and perhaps worse still, those left out.

You’ve found this page at my Poetrydoctortm website, so you may think a discussion about “the best poetry” is going to be biased. I suppose you will be correct in that my intention here is to present a sample of my work–a nearly complete collection of it–which you can use to gauge not only whether I am a good poet, but what you do and don’t like in poetry.

Please click the link below which will bring you to my poetry.  Find a book title and just read a bit. I’m not telling you I’m the best. But, after all these years in the poetry business, I think it’s time to see my audience expand. I am making my own “list.” Can’t wait for “theirs!”

Click here for:  COMPLETE SELECTED POEMS!  

You may also search a topic or a word to find a poem for a particular use.  OnlineLabels Clip Art - Magnifying Glass

You can do that the upper right SEARCH utility–the magnifying glass.

 

Read my poems and tell me what you think. Or, just read them and enjoy.

I am reachable via email as: axelrodthepoet@yahoo.com

or via regular mail to: 1104 Jacaranda Avenue, Daytona Beach, FL 32118

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These poems are yours to use, free, for academic/teaching purposes. Please give me proper acknowledgment. 

If you find a poem that you wish to reproduce for personal purposes, that is also permissible, but please give me a proper acknowledgment. 

All of my work here is reproduced from books still in copyright. Some of the books are still for sale by my publishers. Please Google any title you like and consider purchasing the book. I am grateful to those who have published me and don’t want to stymie their sales!

I trust that if you plan to use these poems for any other, commercial purposes, you will contact me to describe your intentions so that I can give you proper permission.

 

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I HOPE YOU ENJOY THESE POEMS. I  would be glad to hear from you.

Dr. David B. Axelrod, axelrod@poetrydoctor.org

Aug 232015
 

Books by young poets, published as part of the Young Poets Mentoring Program, are for sale at creativehappiness.org/bookstore (sorry, temporarily offline, but check book titles if you know them, available on eBay). Support  your young authors. Buy their books!

Click here to read more about how if you are a Volusia County Florida poet beween 14 and 20, you may be able to have a free book published.

Are you or do you know a Volusia County resident between the ages of 14 and 20, who writes poetry? Go to the LAUREATE WEB PAGES to learn how you can get free writing lessons and even have your own book published for free.

On August 20th, 2015, Volusia County appointed its Poets Laureate, Dr. David B. Axelrod, and M. B. McLatchey. The role of the Volusia Poet Laureate is to “Promote the reading, writing, and appreciation of poetry throughout the County and in so doing, promote greater literacy, cultural activity and tourism.” A selection committee advertised open nominations, screened nominees, and recommended both poets to the County Council with the assumption that one would be appointed. Wanting to provide even more benefit to their constituents, the Council, in turn decided to make both candidates a Poet Laureate.

To the many public events and performances Dr. Axelrod already presents, he plans to fund raise for and institute a Young Poets Mentoring Program. An earlier, similar project he instituted resulted in the publication of nine chapbooks by poets, ages 16 to 24, which were the result of pairings with established poets who worked with the young poets until a manuscript was perfected.

Other plans are for a variety of new venues throughout Volusia County, as well as visits to libraries and public schools.

INTERESTED IN HAVING DR. AXELROD VISIT WITH YOUR GROUP?

Email: axelrod@poetrydoctor.org

Phone: 386-337-4567

LAUREATE NEWS

Dr. Axelrod has initiated a Young Poets Mentoring Program, in association with Kevin Campbell, who will institute a “Breaking Bad” performance venue. DANGER! in some circles, creativity may be frowned upon in public schools. Please promote poetry–appreciation, reading, writing–by inviting poets to your public and private school. Invite poets and poetry into your life.

Our program invites young poets to apply for study with established, published poets. Young poets who are accepted into the program will work to complete a body of poetry, selections from which will appear in an anthology &/or be published as a chapbook.

Jul 142015
 

BOOKS LISTED BELOW ARE FOR SALE FROM THE PUBLISHERS, at Barnes & Noble, at Amazon and through a variety of sources.

If you wish to purchase a signed &/or personally inscribed copy of a book, please email me directly: axelrod@poetrydoctor.org. I have some copies of even the earliest books and would enjoy hearing from you.

2014 MERLIN STONE REMEMBERED. Llewellyn Worldwide: Woodbury, MN. Order at www.merlinstone.org.

2014 RUSTING: WAYS TO KEEP LIVING. Taylor and Seale: Daytona Beach Shores, FL. Order at www.taylor

2014 HOW TO PUBLISH YOUR POETRY BOOK. Writers Ink Press: Daytona Beach, FL.

2014 ANOTHER WAY: POEMS DERIVED FROM THE TAO TE CHING. New Edition. Mighty Rogue Press: Boulder, CO.

2013: Second Edition, THE SPEED WAY: POEMS ABOUT NASCAR AND GROWING UP AROUND CARS AND RACING. Total Recall Press: Friendswood, TX.

2011 THE SPEED WAY: POEMS ABOUT NASCAR AND GROWING UP AROUND CARS AND RACING. Total Recall Press: Friendswood, TX.

2009 HOW TO APOLOGIZE. Paradise Islands Press: Okinawa and Anderson,  IN.

2008 DECIDUOUS POEMS. Ahadada Books: Tokyo and Ontario, Canada.

2007 THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF DREAMS: New Poems. Ahadada Books: Ontario,  Canada.

2005 ANOTHER WAY: Poems derived from the Tao Te Ching. Karma Dog  Editions: Boulder, CO.

2001 RANDOM BEAUTY, New Poems. Edited by Louis Simpson. Amereon  Press: Cutchogue, New York.

2001 LOVE IN THE KEYS. Second Edition. Ai Press: Selden, NY.

1994 THE CHI OF POETRY: NEW AND SELECTED POETRY, 1960-1995.  Introduction by X. J. Kennedy. American/People’s Press, Birnham  Woods Graphics: Northport, Long Island, NY.

1993 THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE: Poems. Birnham Woods Graphics:  Northport, Long Island, NY.

1991 LOVE IN THE KEYS: New Poems. Ai Press: Selden, NY.

1989 RESURRECTIONS: New Poems. Bilingual, Macedonian-English. New World Press: Skopia, Macedonia, Yugoslavia.

1989 A PERPETUAL CALENDAR OF POEMS. Illustrations by Nicolo  D’Alessandro. Bilingual, Italian-English. Antigruppo Siciliano:  Palermo & Trapani, Sicily.

1987 WHITE LIES: New Poems. La Jolla Poets Press: La Jolla, CA.

1986 THE END OF THE UNIVERSE: Surrealistic Poems. CRI Productions:  Port Jefferson, NY.

1982 HOME REMEDIES: New & Selected Poems, with introduction by X. J.  Kennedy. Cross-Cultural Communications: Merrick, NY.

1981 THE MAN WHO FELL IN LOVE WITH A CHICKEN: Audio Cassette.  Talking Books Series. Cross-Cultural Communication.

1980 THE MAN WHO FELL IN LOVE WITH A CHICKEN:  Surrealistic poems. Cross-Cultural Communications.

1979 A MEETING WITH DAVID B. AXELROD AND IGNAZINO RUSSO:  Bio-bibliography & Poems, bilingual Italian-English with artist’s work. Antigruppo Siciliano.

1976 A DREAM OF FEET: New Poems. Cross-Cultural Communications.

1974 MYTHS, DREAMS & DANCES: New Poems, with introduction by Michael  Atkinson. Despa Press: Northampton, MA.

1972 STARTING FROM PAUMANOK: Five Long Island Poets. Edited and with  poems by D. B. Axelrod. Despa Press.

1971 STILLS FROM A CINEMA: second edition. Despa Press.

1968 STILLS FROM A CINEMA: Poems. Despa Press.

 

Dec 052014
 

ARE YOU READY?

Are you ready to publish your book of poetry? The question is worth asking for poets at any level of ac-complishment, but particularly for those about to bring out their first book. One great strength in America – and any country – is the freedom to share your thoughts with others. The advent of desktop publishing has made the press ever freer. The ability to assemble and publish a book, however, does not assure that you are ready to bring out a book. You owe it to yourself and others to responsibly exercise your abilities as an author and poet and, as much as possible, aim to be professional.

It doesn’t hurt to ask yourself why you want a book. In fact, you could start by asking yourself why you write. Poetry is a venerable art form, coming to us from the earliest oral traditions of incantation and prayer, record keeping and storytelling, healing and, yes, humor. If you write for yourself, you certainly should revise for others. As soon as you write poetry you will hear that art is not for all markets. That is, a commercial writer analyzes a market and writes to sell. An artist creates from whatever inner need and, thus, may not appeal to many people.

If you want to publish a book of poetry to make lots of money, good luck. Mainstream publishers, if not professional poets themselves, will tell you that poetry doesn’t sell. If that is true, it is not for lack of poets. Throw a rock and you will hit a dog or a poet. Poets are every-where. There’s hardly a person who hasn’t written a po-em at some point, whether in the throes of love, at a time of great loss, or just on a bathroom wall. But long before Marshall McLuhan declared the printed word was dead, it was apparent that books were a hard sell.

There is an entire art of publicizing, distributing, and selling your book. If writing poetry is the song, selling it is the dance. You should take pleasure in sharing your work with others, but that might mean, simply, showing your poems to friends, sharing it in writing workshops, or learning how to perform it well publically. Just don’t expect to make yourself rich as a poet, and that is as much because of human nature as because poetry doesn’t sell.

You can do everything right – writing a truly gifted book of poetry, designing and producing a magnificent book, buying the best wine and cheese for your book party. People – fellow poets and writers and even your good friends – will gladly drink your wine and eat the cheese, but as often they will leave without buying a book. What is that about? It certainly predates any col-lapse of the economy or even antipathy for poetry. Get-ting people to part with a dollar isn’t easy, and family members are going to expect you to give them a free copy. (Make even your mother pay!)

Of course, you may have, more than just extraordinary lines of poetry, the best sales pitch ever. It doesn’t hurt to be optimistic and it certainly is good to have a marketing plan. But shed the idea that you want to publish a book – particularly of poetry – to make money. Do, however, understand that a well-produced, inexpensive book of poems is very likely to earn its money back and then some if you do things right. It is not enough to ex-ercise your right to publish. It is your responsibility to bring out the best book you can. You may be a happy amateur, but when you reach out to others with a book, why wouldn’t you want to present them with the very best you can produce?

Dec 032014
 

front cover

HOW TO PUBLISH YOUR POETRY BOOK

In an essay based on more than fifty years of publishing experience, Dr. David B. Axelrod offers advice on how to publish your own book of poetry.  Learn to avoid vanity press pitfalls. Learn how to prepare your poetry for publication either by an alternative press or as a properly-prepared imprint of your own.

There is no greater affirmation of your freedom as an American than exercising your right to speak, write, and best of all, publish your own creations. 

Publication date: November 1, 2014

Chapbook, 24 pages, stapled.

Price, including shipping, $5.00

 Click to read the opening section of the book. 

ORDER NOW using Paypal


 

Nov 132012
 

ORDER FORM

Please send me the following books:

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TOTAL FOR BOOKS (free shipping)                     $______

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Review Copy Policy: Copies of these texts are available for consideration for class use, literary reviews &/or possible personal appearances by their authors. Please designate the organization for which you are reviewing:

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Make Checks payable to: 3WS, World Wide Writers Services.

1104 Jacaranda Avenue, Daytona Beach, Florida 32118

Phone: 386-492-2409/

Alternately, you can email this form to axelrodthepoet@yahoo.com and make your payment to that email address using Paypal.

Writers Ink Press

Abella, Olga | Agostino, Paul | Allen, David |  Axelrod, Daniel E. | Byrnes, Fred | Cavanaugh, Joseph | Cowley, Lisa |dePazzi, Ellen|DiGenarro, Adriana | Fisher, Adam | Guilbert, Anthony | Kidde, Kaye | Kotch, Beverly | Levine, Mara | Levine, Marvin |Marinelli, William J. | Nuzzo-Morgan, Tammy | Opyr, Linda | Pels, Daniel J. | Paleos, Kaliope |Susan Pilewski | Stever, Edward |Stock, Thomas | Teller, Gayl | Usatch, Sonia | Wallace, George | Wentling, Trish |Wicker, Sandy |

 

  Watching the Wind. Abella, Olga. BINDING: perfect bound, 76 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-55-3 PRICE: $20.  
  Engagements and Disengagements: New Poems.Agostino, Paul. BINDING: perfect bound, 128 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-14-7 ISBN: 0-925062-14-6 PRICE: $15.
  The Story So Far. Allen, David. BINDING: perfect bound, 124 pgs. ISBN: 0-925062-48-0 PRICE: $20.
  History Doesn’t Kill Me. Axelrod, Daniel. Binding: stapled, 24 pgs.  ISBN 0-925062-05-x (Out of Print)
Dreams. Axelrod, Daniel E. BINDING: stapled, 24 pgs. ISBN: 0-925062-05-7 PRICE: $6.
Staircase Wisdom. Axelrod, Daniel E. BINDING: perfect bound, 54 pgs. ISBN 0-925062-12-x ISBN13: 978-0-925062-12-3 PRICE: $10
  1969 and Other Poems. Byrnes, Fred. BINDING: perfect bound, 48 pgs. ISBN13 978-0-925062-58-8 PRICE: $20.
  Poetry Jam with Toast and Tea. Cavanaugh, Joseph. BINDING: perfect bound, 88 pgs. ISBN: 978-0-925062-46-9 (book sold with CD) PRICE: $20. –
 

 

Poetry Jam: Music and Poems. Cavanaugh, Joseph.ISBN: 978-0-925062-47-5 (CD only) PRICE: $10.
  Noah’s Dove. Cowley, Lisa. BINDING: perfect bound, 44 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-41-3 ISBN: 0-925062-41-3 PRICE: $10.
  David Burliuk: His Long Island and His World. de’ Pazzi, Ellen. BINDING: perfect bound, 218 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-25-3 ISBN: 0-925062-25-1 COLLECTOR’S PRICE: $40.
  Peripheral Vision. DiGennaro, Adriana. BINDING: perfect bound, 58 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-23-9 ISBN: 0-925062-23-5 PRICE: $15.
Rooms, Airy Rooms. Fisher, Adam D. BINDING: perfect bound, 36 pgs. (Issued as a Behrman House Poetry Edition together with Cross-Cultural Communication)ISBN cloth: 0-89304-760-0 ISBN paper: 0-89304-761-9 (Out of Print)
Enough to Stop the Heart. Fisher, Adam D. BINDING: perfect bound, 80 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-54-5 PRICE: $20.
  Drift. Guilbert (né Norton), Anthony. BINDING: stapled, 24 pgs. ISBN: 0-9606222-11 (Out of Print)
This Longing: Words for the Body, Words for the Soul.Guilbert, Anthony BINDING: perfect bound, 60 pgs. ISBN 0-925062-56-1 PRICE: $15.
  Early Sky. Kidde, Kaye. BINDING: perfect bound, 82 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-24-6 ISBN: 0-925062-24-3 PRICE: $15.
 

 

The Poems of Augie Prime. Wallace, George. BINDING: perfect bound, 60 pgs. ISBN: 0-925062-19-7 PRICE: $12
Pruning. Wentling, Trish. BINDING: stapled, 32 pgs. ISBN: 978-0-925062-56-7 PRICE: $10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nov 132012
 

3WS is happy to offer for sale books published by its not-for-profit associate, Writers Unlimited Agency, Inc.

 Writers Ink Press Abella, Olga | Agostino, Paul | Allen, David |  Axelrod, Daniel E. | Byrnes, Fred | Cavanaugh, Joseph | Cowley, Lisa |dePazzi, Ellen|DiGenarro, Adriana | Fisher, Adam | Guilbert, Anthony | Kidde, Kaye | Kotch, Beverly | Levine, Mara | Levine, Marvin |Marinelli, William J. | Nuzzo-Morgan, Tammy | Opyr, Linda | Pels, Daniel J. | Paleos, Kaliope |Susan Pilewski | Stever, Edward |Stock, Thomas | Teller, Gayl | Usatch, Sonia | Wallace, George | Wentling, Trish |Wicker, Sandy | [show_wp_shopping_cart] Shipping is free. Order using PayPal or our ORDER FORM.
  Watching the Wind. Abella, Olga. BINDING: perfect bound, 76 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-55-3 PRICE: $20.[wp_cart:Watching the Wind:price:20.:end]  
  Engagements and Disengagements: New Poems.Agostino, Paul. BINDING: perfect bound, 128 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-14-7 ISBN: 0-925062-14-6 PRICE: $15. [wp_cart:Engagements and Disengagements:price:15.:end]  
  The Story So Far. Allen, David. BINDING: perfect bound, 124 pgs. ISBN: 0-925062-48-0 PRICE: $20.[wp_cart:The Story So Far:price:20.:end]  
  History Doesn’t Kill Me. Axelrod, Daniel. Binding: stapled, 24 pgs.  ISBN 0-925062-05-x (Out of Print)
Dreams. Axelrod, Daniel E. BINDING: stapled, 24 pgs. ISBN: 0-925062-05-7 PRICE: $6.[wp_cart:Dreams:price:6.:end]
Staircase Wisdom. Axelrod, Daniel E. BINDING: perfect bound, 54 pgs. ISBN 0-925062-12-x ISBN13: 978-0-925062-12-3 PRICE: $10 [wp_cart:Staircase Wisdom:price:10.:end]
  1969 and Other Poems. Byrnes, Fred. BINDING: perfect bound, 48 pgs. ISBN13 978-0-925062-58-8 PRICE: $20.[wp_cart:1969 and Other Poems:price:20.:end]
  Poetry Jam with Toast and Tea. Cavanaugh, Joseph. BINDING: perfect bound, 88 pgs. ISBN: 978-0-925062-46-9 (book sold with CD) PRICE: $20. –  [wp_cart:Poetry Jam with Toast and Tea:price:20.:end]
  Poetry Jam: Music and Poems. Cavanaugh, Joseph.ISBN: 978-0-925062-47-5 (CD only) PRICE: $10.[wp_cart:Poetry Jam with Toast and Tea (CD Only):price:10.:end]
  Noah’s Dove. Cowley, Lisa. BINDING: perfect bound, 44 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-41-3 ISBN: 0-925062-41-3 PRICE: $10. [wp_cart:Noah’s Dove:price:10.:end]
  David Burliuk: His Long Island and His World. de’ Pazzi, Ellen. BINDING: perfect bound, 218 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-25-3 ISBN: 0-925062-25-1 COLLECTOR’S PRICE: $40. [wp_cart:David Burliuk: His Long Island and His World:price:40.00:end]
  Peripheral Vision. DiGennaro, Adriana. BINDING: perfect bound, 58 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-23-9 ISBN: 0-925062-23-5 PRICE: $15. [wp_cart:Peripheral Vision:price:15.:end]
Rooms, Airy Rooms. Fisher, Adam D. BINDING: perfect bound, 36 pgs. (Issued as a Behrman House Poetry Edition together with Cross-Cultural Communication)ISBN cloth: 0-89304-760-0 ISBN paper: 0-89304-761-9 (Out of Print)
Enough to Stop the Heart. Fisher, Adam D. BINDING: perfect bound, 80 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-54-5 PRICE: $20. [wp_cart:Enough to Stop the Heart:price:20.:end]
  Drift. Guilbert (né Norton), Anthony. BINDING: stapled, 24 pgs. ISBN: 0-9606222-11 (Out of Print)
This Longing: Words for the Body, Words for the Soul.Guilbert, Anthony BINDING: perfect bound, 60 pgs. ISBN 0-925062-56-1 PRICE: $15. [wp_cart:This Longing:price:15.00:end]
  Early Sky. Kidde, Kaye. BINDING: perfect bound, 82 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-24-6 ISBN: 0-925062-24-3 PRICE: $15. [wp_cart:Early Sky:price:15.:end]
  I’m in Here Somewhere. Kotch, Beverly. BINDING: stapled, 38 pgs. ISBN: 978-0-925062-27-7 PRICE: $15.[wp_cart:I’m in Here Somewhere:price:15.:end]
  Water the Roots. Levine, Mara. BINDING: perfect bound, 80 PGS. ISBN: 978-0-925062-72-7 PRICE: $15.[wp_cart:Water the Roots:price:15.:end]
Generations. Levine, Mara. BINDING: perfect bound, 70 pgs. ISBN: 0-925062-40-5 PRICE: $15.[wp_cart:Generations:price:15.00:end]
   Look down from Clouds: New Poems. Levine, Marvin. BINDING: perfect bound, 52 pgs. ISBN: 0-925062-09-x (Out of Print)
  Into the Night. Marinelli, William J.  BINDING: perfect bound, 42 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-15-4 ISBN: 0-925062-15-4 PRICE: $15. [wp_cart:Into the Night:price:15.00:end]
Gone Fishing. Marinelli, William J. BINDING: perfect bound, 100 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-39-0 ISBN: 0-925062-39-1 PRICE: $15. [wp_cart:Gone Fishing:price:15.:end]
  Life’s a Beach. Nuzzo-Morgan, Tammy. BINDING: perfect bound, 52 pgs. ISBN 978-0-925062-48-2 PRICE: $15. [wp_cart:Life’s a Beach:price:15.:end] 
The Ragged Cedar. Opyr, LindaBINDING: perfect bound, 60 pages. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-54-3 PRICE: $15. [wp_cart:The Ragged Cedar:price:15.:end]
   No Moon: New Poems. Opyr, Linda. BINDING: perfect bound, 72 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-16-1 ISBN: 0-925062-16-2 PRICE: $15. [wp_cart:No Moon:price:15.:end]
Earth Time: Poems. Opyr, Linda. BINDING: perfect bound, 76 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-21-5 ISBN: 0-925062-21-9 PRICE: $15. [wp_cart:Earth Time:price:15.:end]
   Afternoon, After Midnight. Pels, Daniel J. BINDING: perfect bound, 98 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-21-5 ISBN: 0-925062-49-9 PRICE: $15. [wp_cart:Afernoon, After Midnight:price:15.:end]
  Are There Animals Hiding Inside You? Paleos,Kalliopy BINDING: stapled, 32 pgs. ISBN: 0-925062-04-9 PRICE: $8. [wp_cart:Are There Animals Hiding Inside You:price:8.:end]
  Fetish: Poems. Pilewski, Susan. BINDING: perfect bound, 62 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-53-6 ISBN: 0-925062-53-7 PRICE: $15. [wp_cart:Fetish: Poems(second edition):price:15.:end]
Propulsion. Stever, Edward. BINDING: perfect bound, 50 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-07-9 ISBN: 0-925062-07-3 PRICE: $10. [wp_cart:Propulsion:price:10.:end]
Transparency. Stever, Edward. BINDING: stapled, 28 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-02-4 ISBN: 0-925062-02-2 PRICE: $10.[wp_cart:Transparency:price:10.00:end]     Hidden Agenda: A Poetry Journey. BINDING: perfect bound 60 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-52-9  PRICE: $15. [wp_cart:Hidden Agenda:price:15.00:end] 
  Toward Foregiveness. Teller, Gayl. BINDING: perfect bound, 272 pgs. ISBN 978-0-925062-28-4 PRICE: $20.  [wp_cart:Toward Foregiveness:price:20.:end]
  Tennessee Waltz and Other Poems. Sandy WickerBINDING: stapled, 28 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-42-0 ISBN: 0-925062-42-1 PRICE: $10. [wp_cart:Tennessee Waltz and Other Poems:price:10.:end]
Noodle Kugel. Usatch, Sonia. BINDING: perfect bound, 40 pgs. ISBN13: 978-0-925062-00-0 ISBN: 0-925062-00-6 PRICE: $10. [wp_cart:Noodle Kugel (second Edition):price:10.:end]
 Confessions of a Yuppie Dropout. Wallace, George.BINDING: stapled, 32 pgs. ISBN: 0-925062-08-1 (Out of Print)
The Poems of Augie Prime. Wallace, George. BINDING: perfect bound, 60 pgs. ISBN: 0-925062-19-7 PRICE: $12[wp_cart:The Poems of Augie Prime:price:12.00:end]
Pruning. Wentling, Trish. BINDING: stapled, 32 pgs. ISBN: 978-0-925062-56-7 PRICE: $10 [wp_cart:The Pruning:price:10.00:end]

               

Jun 272011
 

Sample Sonnets

Apr 152011

SAMPLE SONNETS

by David B. Axelrod

While the sonnet may be the best known example of formal poetry, dating back to at least the 13th Century and, of course, most known for the average literature student from study of Shakespeare, the contemporary poet who attempts the form is advised to “not try to write like Shakespeare.” That is, a contemporary sonnet does not use “fancy” or out-dated words (poetic or archaic diction); does not invert sentence structure to make a rhyme (see “Telling Good Rhyme from Bad”); does not necessarily treat abstract ideas or heightened emotions as the subject matter. Rather, the test of a contemporary sonnet is to follow the form precisely, but make it sound like normal, conversational speech.

As for following the form–precisely–I would say that is the only way to learn. Roll up your sleeves and sweat with the muse. Do not go for easy rhymes, but rather just those rhymes/words that express what you mean. Do not quit until the meter is perfect iambic pentameter. There may be such a thing as “poetic license,” wherewith one feels exempt from the rules–able to break form. (Poetic license is a bit like learning to drive properly, then rolling an occasional stop sign.) But a poet who wishes to learn any form, truly ought to learn and follow the rules completely. Any less than an exact adherence to the rules would be, simply, a cop out! You would not have mastered the form.

That said, below I offer you some of my own attempts.  

 NEAR DEATH

 (a sonnet for Aaron Kramer)

“Do not go gentle?” Dylan missed the mark;

as if we all must think of death as dark.

I think that death’s more gentle than a birth.

I’ve seen a light that glows beyond the earth;

but not a heaven, not Elysian Fields.

One needn’t find salvation; rather, yield

to that same light that little children miss

in nurseries where doting parents kiss

their fears away indulgently.  But why?

Suppose it isn’t fear that makes kids cry

but yearning for the pre-birth light they left.

Then go, good journeyman, gently cleft.

Greet death as quietly as candles burn.

From light you came. To light you shall return.

THE SNOWBIRD’S LAMENT

The promise of an endless summer brought

me here. Daytona Beach, its hard, flat sand,

green surf, an amphitheater where a band

performs for free each summer weekend. I thought

the warmth of Florida would compensate

for all the ice and snow I had to clear—

an end to winter doldrums and the fear

I’d never leave that endless, frozen state.

I hadn’t calculated how far north

I picked, or how one summer thins the blood

so nights in forties, days just sixty would

need a jacket when I venture forth.

It isn’t freezing. Sure, I’m glad for that.

I wear a bathing suit and woolen hat.

WHAT WE EXPECTED

If I had said, “Please stay,” if I had said,

“I’ll go with you,” would you have then been pleased

or quickly run away?  Each time in bed,

I said, “I want to care,” you only teased,

as now you sign your letters cryptically,

“X K,” so I am left to guess it means

you send your love.  Or are you scripting me

in lines so hard to read the words are dreams

and I, fool, wanting love, fill in the lines

with longings long held in a breathless creams?

We thought our brief romance beneath Key pines

would never last.  We fooled ourselves it seems.

You say my leaving you has left a space.

For me, you are a love time can’t erase.

 TWO SONNETS IN FEAR OF CANCER 

1. THE ODDS MAKERS

Awakened simultaneously at one,

we argue who’s to blame, whose cough resounds

percussive, whether health foods help prolong

one’s life; count careful people still struck down.

We quote the facts, make odds and place our bets:

In WW I, one out of four was killed.

Now one if four will die a cancer death.

An hour–no sleep.  The bottle rattles, pills

half gone; we drink a glass of tepid juice.

Our terrors slow their ticking, numbed by drugs

that stop diurnal clocks.  At noon, transfused

with sugared tea, we slump behind our mugs,

ignore the nitrates bursting in our guts,

the table strewn with bacon rinds and butts.

2. THROUGH SICKNESS

Crises, you never let me comfort you,

would rather sit alone in dark and cry,

as is we hadn’t been together through

ten years of births or watched our close friends die.

To show your rage at life you call the cops,

phone threats of self-annihilation, 9-

1-1.  I wake when the receiver drops.

Dazed, I find you flushed with fear and blind

with tears.  You only asked them for protection–

a guard with gun to keep the cancer out.

“Don’t call again,” I beg.  “The cops will come

and get you.”  Then who would drive me crazy,

shout my fears away, or with her madness, fight

to wear me out enough to sleep at night?

(Two little notes about the second sonnet in fear of cancer. Notice that it breaks a rule at the opening by starting with “Crises.” That is the opposite accent of syllables that form an iabic foot. Here, instead I start with a troche. But I wanted to start with a “cry” so I broke the rule for a reason! Also, I believe I am still the only person to use 9-1-1 correctly as part of a sonnet!)

Among those friends and poets whose sonnets I have admired, I also recommend: Aaron Kramer; Peter Meinke; Dana Gioia; X. J. Kennedy; Lewis Turco. I’m not giving you their links. Sometimes it is more fun to just type in a name and see who and what you discover!

Jun 272011
 

Would you like to learn more about poetry? Would you like to attend a poetry workshop or take personal poetry lessons?

For over forty years I have written, performed and taught poetry to all ages of people–from pre-school to senior programs.

Contact me for:

Personal poetry lessons

Poetry workshops

Editing

Assistance with magazine and journal publication

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I will be happy to work with you or your organization to design exactly the services you desire. My fees are negotiable. I may also be able to assist you with fund-raising and grants to pay for programs or even for your own personal work with me.