Reader Views

Chinese Blackbird

Honest, tender, ruthless, revealing, harsh, enlightening, and truthful are just some of the words that describe Sherry Quan Lee’s imaginative and poignant language portrayed in “Chinese Blackbird.” Born to a Black mother and a Chinese father, Quan Lee struggles with her identity, not only because of the multi-cultural orientation but because she was convinced by her mother to say she is white.

As I read Quan Lee’s writings, I couldn’t help but wonder if her identity crisis was really caused by the multi-cultural background as she portrays.  Although I will not discount the magnitude it would have had on her life, I also see much more in the writing. I see a lack of self-certainty, sexual-identity questioning, as well as role experimentation – much of what most humans experience as conflicts in their lives regardless of culture. Whether or not Quan Lee’s identity crisis was caused by a multi-cultural/color insecurity, or it was due to lack of parenting, alcoholism, drug abuse, or many of the other facets in her life, one cannot judge the experience of another person. But we do know each one of us has a choice whether or not we want to wallow in the past or choose to create a different life for ourselves and move forward.  According to Quan Lee’s words she is progressing in finding her true self and moving forward.

I commend Quan Lee for exposing her thoughts and life outside of herself.  As a poet, her language is powerful, powerful enough to entice the reader to look into his or her own life and question their own identity.  “Chinese Blackbird” will touch your soul.

Chinese Blackbird
Sherry Quan Lee
Modern History Press (2008)
ISBN 9781932690682
Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (7/08)

How to Write a Suicide Note

“How to Write a Suicide Note,” is the second book in the Reflections of America Series.  The author Sherry Quan Lee took six years to complete her story.  The book consists of a series of poignant essays.  Ms. Lee is a Chinese/Black woman.  Her father was Chinese and her mother was Black.  She developed an identity crisis because she was told to pass herself off as white and if she couldn’t do that then she should say she is Chinese.  This was to help her be better accepted into society.  How sad that was because her Chinese father left the family when she was five, so she wasn’t raised as a part of his culture.  Her strong mother, who was left to raise five children by herself, did not want her to accept the Black side of her culture.  I felt this must have been very damaging because her mother deserved to have her culture acknowledged by her children.  This taught Ms. Lee to feel invisible.

She writes that her attempts at suicide were cries to be heard.  It also seemed like she was making the attempts to kill parts of herself. When she started writing, she discovered that writing saves lives.  It was healing for her to tell her story through her poetry.  It is also healing for the people who read Lee’s works.  The people that can relate to her experiences will find healing in knowing that they are not alone.

“How to Write a Suicide Note” is an excellent reading choice for readers, especially women with multicultural backgrounds.  I have friends of multicultural backgrounds who had difficulties with their upbringings and how they were accepted by others.  Sometimes they felt unaccepted by anybody.  One of them, a woman in her 30s, relates that even today she is not sure what box to check under “race.”  I think that she will really be able to relate to Ms. Lee’s story.  I also think that women of all races will find the essays moving.  No matter what, we all want the same thing that Ms. Lee did, at our core; that is to be loved and accepted. 

How to Write a Suicide Note
Sherry Quan Lee
Modern History Press (2008)
ISBN 9781932690637
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (6/08)

Winter Blossoms: and other poems

“Winter Blossoms” is a collection of poems depicting the inequity faced by women who are caught in a cross-cultural journey. These women are destined by society to experience the complexities of indignity, hostility, and domination. Mamata Misra has captured a yearning for change, and a call for understanding. In a courageous bold voice she uses her poetry to speak loudly with a message of hope to these courageous women.

The illustrations by Indira Chakravorty vividly reinforce the message of the poetry. These poignant words and pictures tell the story of the restlessness of communal violence, offer a prayer for peace, describe the loving presence of a mother, and relate the bravery of Seetha walking into fire to prove her chastity to prove her worthiness to be queen.

The book is arranged in a topical format. Pen and ink drawings coinciding with the words of the poem impact and enhance the message conveyed through the written word.

The topics include “Mother and Child,” “War and Peace,” “Questions and Answers,” “Hope and Despair,” and “Sound and Silence.” The final chapter entitled “Poems and People,” includes a brief background on each of the poems, the time and circumstances of its origin, and a brief comment or two regarding the message being conveyed. A biographical sketch of the author and the illustrator are also included.

The poems in “Winter Blossoms” reveal the amazing insight, of the author, into the nature of the struggles faced by South Asian women. Mamata Misra brings to the forefront the need to speak out against the reality of family violence, and abuse. She faces squarely the incongruity of the power struggle of war in the guise of establishing peace. I was deeply moved by the poem, “Despair.”

Winter Blossoms: and other poems
Mamata Misra
iUniverse (2007)
ISBN 9780595443727
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (10/07)

The Poets' Corner: The One-and-Only Poetry Book for the Whole Family

John Lithgow, award-winning Broadway star, television and screen actor, has selected and compiled poems from 50 classic poets, including, William Blake, Emily Dickinson, Robert Burns, Robert Frost, Carl Sandburg, and John Keats. “The Poets’ Corner” is an effort to generate an interest, and enjoyment, in the reading and recitation of poetry. John includes brief comments, reflecting on what the poems have meant to him, personally. These comments convey John’s love for poetry. I found this to be a contagious experience, as I was introduced to a whole new poetic experience.

John contends that reading poetry aloud or listening to the reading of poetry increases the enjoyment and creates a bonding experience and resonance between the reader and the poet. To aid in creating this experience for the reader a CD comes with the book, featuring readings by John Lithgow, Glenn Close, Morgan Freeman, Lynn Redgrave, and others.

I found that reading poems like “The Children’s Hour” by Longfellow and other familiar works struck a chord of nostalgia as well as giving me a fresh and clearer glimpse into the intention and meaning of the words and cadence of the poem.

The format of the book is reader-friendly. The book can be read sequentially or randomly. The poems appear alphabetically so times, styles, and content do not follow a logical pattern, however there is uniformity within that includes a biographical commentary, John’s interpretation of the poem and an inset quote, quip, definition, or interesting antidote.

I found the biographical sketches extremely interesting and relevant to understanding the tone of the writing and the influence of the social issues of the times. I enjoyed being introduced to Langston Hughes, the jazz poet, and his “The Weary Blues.”

From Matthew Arnolds “Dover Beach” to William Butler Yeats “The Lake of Innisfree” the reader is in store for an engaging experience and an entertaining introduction to the joy of poetry. Whomever your favorite poet, whatever your taste in poetry, you will find a sampling in John Lithgow’s “The Poets’ Corner.”

John Lithgow
Grand Central Publishing (2007)
ISBN 9780446580021
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (9/07)

Seasons of the Heart

When most people hear the name of author Lois Duncan, they think of her 48 best-selling novels or her most famous one, “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” not a beautiful book of poetry. “Seasons of the Heart” came about when this award-winning novelist was approached over and over again about writing her autobiography. She realized that she had a collection of poems that she started writing at the age of 10 that chronicled her life and this book is that collection of poems.

“Seasons of the Heart” is broken down into seasons of Lois Duncan’s life. Springtime is the beginning of her life through the school years. Her collection of poems began at the age of 10 and I was amazed at the quality of her writing at such a young age. She must have been an English teacher’s dream. The poems expressed the joy of discovery and frustrations of being a teenager.

Summer was about Duncan’s early adulthood. This included her marriage at 19, the joy of being a mom, and the heartbreak of divorce when she was 27. She became a single mom to three young children when her husband fell in love with someone else. She left Florida and struck out on her own in New Mexico. After several successful years supporting her kids, she got remarried and had two more children. Her second marriage has been a very happy one. My favorite poem from this group was “the Requiem for a 40th birthday.”

Autumn was a good time for Duncan. Her career took off, she graduated from college at 43 and she enjoyed watching her family grow up. The poems from this time period poked fun at the aging process – “Ode to my teeth.”

Winter was a heartbreaking for Duncan because her youngest child was murdered shortly after high school graduation in 1989. Frustrated by the police dropping the investigation, she published her best seller “Who Killed My Daughter.” After receiving several death threats, she relocated to Florida to her roots. She and her husband Don created a Real Crimes website in 2002 to help families keep police cases alive. She keeps hoping that her daughter’s crime will be solved. Her poems – “the glasses” and “the first Christmas without her,” will bring tears to your eyes.

The book ends with poems from a second spring. The poems from this era reflect her enjoyment at being a grandmother. The poems are written for her grandchildren and often include lessons about bad habits.

Overall, I found “Seasons of the Heart” to be a beautifully-written book with a wonderful approach to an autobiography. All audiences would enjoy it, from teenagers to poetry fans, and especially Lois Duncan fans (that would include almost everybody!).

Lois Duncan
iUniverse (2007)
ISBN 9780595427659
Reviewed by Cherie Fisher of Reader Views (9/07)

View From The Middle of The Road, Vol II U.S. in US: Anthology

Compiled by Lucinda Clark
PRA Publishing (2006)
ISBN 9780972770361
Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (8/07)

Lucinda Clark did something very powerful – she compiled poetry from four authors whose lives represent most Americans. The works are sensitive, truthful, and most of all, come from the writer’s heart.

Makal Ani speaks from the heart. The poems are moving, touching, and heart rending. When I read Makal’s poems I had to read them very slowly, taking in very word. Makal’s words brought me to a place of questioning.

Lucinda Clark portrays American life as it is. She talks about women learning to use power tools and baseball. She also talks about death, feelings and spirituality. Lucinda’s display of words gives a well-rounded aspect of who we are. I realized I was doing a lot of nodding when reading Lucinda’s work.

Robert Ward talks about spirit. He puts the reader in place of understanding and accepting the work of God. Through his work, Robert’s words of wisdom are poignant and tender. I was able to get in touch with my own beliefs and truths.

Toni Quest’s poems are short and very effective. She brings subtle humor into her work. As women we can chuckle about the truths Toni portrays so well. I chuckled, and at the same time, came to a realization that, yes, chocolate is seductive.

It is not easy to compile a book of poetry, let alone choose which ones to publish. I was captivated by Lucinda’s collection right from the start. To me, reading poetry must be done from a place of prevailing compassion otherwise it ends up being a collection of words with no meaning.

I commend Lucinda Clark very highly in being able to create a collection of poetry that is powerful, passionate, and loving. Each of the pieces in “View From The Middle of The Road, Vol II” tugged on my heart in some way, from deep thinking to laughing out loud. Recommended highly!

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Father’s Eyes

Cherie Burbach
Bonjour Publishing (2007)
ISBN 9780978974701
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (8/07)

“Father’s Eyes” is the story of Cherie Burbach’s personal journey. It is a story of self-doubt, anger, isolation, and pain written in a poetic form. While grieving the loss of her father, as a result of suicide, Cherie writes of her feelings. She felt guilt for his illness and addiction, even as she faced the burden of his death. As a child and young adult, Cherie struggled with the experience of living in an atmosphere of verbal and emotional abuse. Cherie was driven to live up to her alcoholic father’s expectations. Nothing she did would please him or bring a word of praise. Her longing for love was rewarded with loneliness.

Read complete review at Reader Views

Shades of Love, Poetic Moments

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (6/07)

When you are in love, your emotions run the gamut, from delight to deep pain. David A. Lewis expresses all this and much, much more in his book “Shades of Love.” The love he speaks of varies from mate, to family, to God. When we first fall in love we are giddy with excitement. We want to run through the streets singing and shouting out our loved one’s name, declaring our love where everyone can hear.

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Echoes in Exile

Sheema Kalbasi
PRA Publishing (2006)
ISBN 0972770372
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (5/07)

Sheema Kalbasi is a stranger in a foreign land. She movingly speaks to the oppression of religious and cultural minorities in Iran.

Ms. Kalbasi shares the horror of war, bombs exploding, “children dying and journalist filming.” She attempts to open the eyes of the world to the atrocities of war. The “Kaddish” speaks of the pain and death in the Middle East. The citizens have long known war, blood in the streets and bodies riddled with bullets.

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Dorsey’s Real Poetry for Seniors

Ed L. Dorsey
American Literary Press (2007)
ISBN 1561679607
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (5/07)

In “Dorsey’s Real Poetry for Seniors” by author Ed L. Dorsey, he offers readers poems that rhyme. Rarely in today’s literature do we see such rhyme and rhythm. “He writes that poems lacking verse and rhyme are like a song with the music gone, there’s just no place for the words to belong.” “These Golden Years” hit just the right note. Dorsey uses poetry to speak what many seniors are thinking and feeling.

read complete review at ReaderViews.com