Stephen M. Honig

Broschiertes Buch

Laertes in America

Collected Poetry 2018-2020

Beschreibung

Stephen M. Honig's fourth book of poetry, written over the eighteen months just prior to our favorite pandemic, contains works speculating on the struggling state of America, the tensions of modern life, the curative impact of nature, the search for self and for God, and the function of age as a preparation for death. From a wandering Laertes, bridging Greek classical literature with Shakespeare's lethal swordsman, to the melancholy decay of marriage and life force, this rambling exploration on who we are, and where we are going, captures the mood of things just prior to COVID's perceptual upheaval, a time when things were allegedly brighter and easier and yet - nothing is easy. Some somber moments echo the sardonic pessimism of the author's recent collection of short stories, Noir Ain't the Half of It, blending dark overlays of reality with moments of inspiration. Blend in cameos of Mario Andretti, Hunter Thompson, the expulsion from Eden and Les Miz, and you can share the poetic confusion faced by all of us. Why Laertes as metaphor for all these myriad strands? Laertes famously appears as father of Odysseus and as slayer of Hamlet, bridging different classic ages and standing in important relationship to iconic figures. Yet Laertes is human in each setting, and often in error. Laertes is pained in each setting, yet that pain proves unrequited. Such is the case of America, of each person struggling with self, of everyone defining a (or the) god, and in thinking about mortality. There are images and themes, but no logic that can be described. Poetry is uniquely adept at addressing such conundrums; sharp lines of thought arranged in not necessarily logical order. This is often how life comes at us in real-time. Each Laertes would understand.

Autor

Stephen M. Honig is a practicing corporate attorney in Boston, Massachusetts. He is a Board Member of the New England Poetry Club, hosts poetry readings on behalf of the Club, is himself a reader of his poetry in various venues, and has often been published in Ibbetson Street (the poetry magazine of Ibbetson Press based in Somerville, Massachusetts). He has published six collections of poetry: "Messing Around with Words", "Rail Head", "Obligatory COVID Chapbook", "Laertes in America - Collected Poetry 2018-2020", "Burn-Out" and "Parallel Universes". Also published are a collection of short stories: "Noir Ain't the Half of It", and an adventure novel: "The Event". The author claims his affair with poetry began with his mother, a farm girl who ran away to find life in the Big City but who held to her spunk and to her allegiance to Nineteenth Century American literature.A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, Mr. Honig lives with his wife, Laura Unflat, in Newton, Massachusetts. Among his four children and two grandchildren, only one shows a poetic avocation, although all six have poetic dispositions.Aged 82 at date of this publication, the author hopes to survive long enough to fill more books with poetry; he believes that his remaining years may be sufficient as only the good die young..

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Stephen M. Honig
• Seitenzahl: 136
• Erscheinungstermin: 30. Juni 2021
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 229mm x 152mm x 8mm
• Gewicht: 209g
• ISBN-13: 9780578936178
• ISBN-10: 0578936178
• Artikelnr.: 62279442