Potter’s Grove Press is happy to announce that Things My Mother Left Behind is available for pre-order. Release date is July 14 and the paperback version will be available on that date as well.
Things My Mother Left Behind is more than the poetic story of a woman’s experience with loss and her journey to blindness. It is the birth of an awakening; learning to see beyond the limitations we allow ourselves to become tethered to and defined by. In the author’s words, we find ourselves at the point where darkness and light converge, entwined by her search for meaning as she clings to the undeniable connection between pain and joy; grief and love. By delving into the center of sadness and addiction, we recognize a loss of innocence, the laying bare of what hides beneath the scattered bones of escapism. She will teach us that no matter how dark our days may be, there is always a light inside each of us that cannot be extinguished.
Paul Brookes has been kind enough to interview a few of our published authors. Here is a conversation with s.r. Jakobi, the author of Antiques & Curios.
Wombwell Rainbow Interviews
I am honoured and privileged that the following writers local, national and international have agreed to be interviewed by me. I gave the writers three options: an emailed list of questions or a more fluid interview via messenger, or an interview about their latest book, or a combination of these.
The usual ground is covered about motivation, daily routines and work ethic, but some surprises too. Some of these poets you may know, others may be new to you. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I do.
s r jakobi
Ex-lecturer, in his late 60s. Initial degree in Business and MFL (French & German); MA in history; post graduate teaching qualification. Began writing poetry in August 2019, a spur of the moment decision. He was never particularly enamoured of poetry but has delved into 20th century poetry and found he enjoys reading it.
He has written one collection of poems, published by River Dixon’s Potter’s Grove Press, Antiques & Curios: Fragments of a Love Affair (2020) and has four poems (see under SJ Reizlein) in an anthology edited by Tara Caribou of Raw Earth Ink, titled The Poets Symphony (2020).
Currently, he is working on two projects: a follow up to Antiques & Curios and a collection of poems, illustrated with his own photographs, on travel. Both will be completed in 2020.
The Interview
1. What inspired you to write poetry?
Purely a need to express the loss of a friendship that obviously meant more to me than to her.
That was the catalyst to write. Cathartic reasons. Now I have the bug.
2. Who introduced you to poetry?
No-one. It found me. Although I did enjoy French poetry at A Level – the teacher was young and rather lovely, and she was enthusiastic about the subject. That was 50 years ago.
3. How aware were you of the dominating presence of older poets?
Studying the Metaphysical Poets nearly finished off my poetry interests in English Lit. Again that was 50 years ago. I still have a philistine attitude (an antipathy) to much pre-20th century poetry. I do however quite enjoy some Victorian/ Edwardians like AE Housman and WB Yeats. Housman was a local lad so he’s OK.
I write poetry how I write it – there is some style to it on the wonderful occasions when it happens.
4. What is your daily writing routine?
I am proud to say I do not have one. Not an inspirational answer, but honest.
5. What motivates you to write?
Just a desire to do it. It isn’t for the money –I have not managed to tap into the zeitgeist like Rupi Kaur and never will. There is pleasure in seeing your own words, thoughts, in a book, or a dissertation. It takes time and mental effort to get that far, so to see it in a physical format, especially, is gratifying. Many of my poems are very personal, as attested to in Antiques & Curios, (henceforth A & C)
6. What is your work ethic?
Pretty much in the style of my cats – zero work ethic. I leave all work ethic concerns to Protestants (see Weber).
7. How do the writers you read when you were young influence you today?
Their influence was important to me inasmuch as I was introduced to new words, ideas, places, histories etc. An important question is how one defines ‘young’. I remember collecting Dean’s Classics (UK), so there were books such as Treasure Island, The Coral Island, The Black Arrow, The Three Musketeers, historical fiction mainly – up to the age of 12 – all adventure stories.
I was also an avid reader of history books – books were a crucial part of my life in my formative years. I did find reading for testing purposes more of a chore but got through it. I found Thomas Hardy and poetry more appealing after the exams. As far as literature was concerned I enjoyed it more at undergraduate and post graduate levels – although it was a minor part of my studies. Maturity lent greater appreciation and empathy in my case.
8. Who of today’s writers do you admire the most and why?
Novelists
I have enjoyed Donna Tartt’s novels – as there are only 3 of them it is reasonably easy to have a complete collection – although they are quite lengthy – The Secret History is the one to read first because it is an easier read, in my opinion, or should I say more to my taste – ancient history, murder mystery and a college milieu – suits me fine. Saw her at Cheltenham Lit Fest – erudite, lovely in every way, writer and academic.
Yesterday’s writers – those who are now no longer alive:
John Updike – I visited Ipswich MA in 2018 just to get a feel for the town on which he based the imagined Tarbox of Couples and other stories. Lucky enough to meet him once – see A & C poem.
Phil Roth – should have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Live and kicking as of today – great favourites – Ian McEwan, Julian Barnes and Martin Amis – another author I’ve met- only briefly. Money is still his masterpiece.
Poets – a shout out for Potter’s Grove Press writers. The Two Erics, Eric Keegan and Eric Daniel Clarke; M Ennenbach and River Dixon – of course. Without River’s encouragement I doubt I would have bothered to get anything published.
And at Raw Earth Ink – Tara Caribou, a poet of true talent; editor who deposited some of my poems in the superb collection: Poets Symphony.
Wheeling out some big guns: Carol Ann Duffy – always so readable, Ferlinghetti’s got a great voice and Sylvia Plath –some poems are utterly sad/fab -I did enjoy her novel The Bell Jar more
I have a great fondness for Jo Bell’s collection Kith.
Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan – two great poets and musicians – both get a poem from me in Poets Symphony
Susan Richardson is an author we are extremely proud to be working with. Check out this interview she did with Paul Brookes over at Wombwell Rainbow.
Wombwell Rainbow Interviews
I am honoured and privileged that the following writers local, national and international have agreed to be interviewed by me. I gave the writers two options: an emailed list of questions or a more fluid interview via messenger.
The usual ground is covered about motivation, daily routines and work ethic, but some surprises too. Some of these poets you may know, others may be new to you. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I do.
Susan Richardson
Susan Richardson is an award winning, internationally published poet. She is the author of “Things My Mother Left Behind”, coming from Potter’s Grover Press in 2020, and also writes the blog, “Stories from the Edge of Blindness”. You can find her on Twitter @floweringink, listen to her on YouTube, and read more of her work on her website.The Interview
1. What inspired you to write poetry?
I think I was always interested in the ways life is fragmented, and for me, poetry feels like the best way to capture that fragmentation. I can remember seeing a Picasso painting, as a young girl, and feeling the weight of a fragmented life in the face of the gray cubed man in the painting. What I realized later, is that it felt like poetry. Poetry has also always been what comes most naturally to me as a writer; it is just how the words come out.
2. Who introduced you to poetry?
I remember my Mom giving me Shel Silverstein books as a child, but it was really my sister who introduced me to poetry when she gave me a copy of, “Ariel” by Sylvia Plath. It changed my life. I don’t think I really understood what poetry could do, until I read Plath.
3. How aware were you of the dominating presence of older poets?
Honestly, not very. I never studied poetry in any formal setting. I am pretty much self-taught and have always sought out what resonates with me on a human and emotional level. I love the transportive feeling of older poetry, but it is the freedom, the breaking of boundaries in the work of contemporary poets, that really excites me.
4. What is your daily writing routine?
I wake up very early (430 am most days), and I try and spend the first few hours of my day either working on poems or reading poetry. It is a perfectly beautiful and quiet space between night and day, and I love the stillness of it. Some days, I write one line, some days 50, some days none at all, but I sit at my desk every day and at least give myself the opportunity to write. I find that sometimes, even writing an email can inspire me to work on whatever current project I have under my hat. It is just about getting the words going and seeing where they take me. But, if I have days when nothing is happening, I don’t beat myself up about it. I do other stuff and come back to the writing the next day. I believe in a writing practice, but don’t think the creative process can be forced.
5. What motivates you to write?
What motivates me to write, is pain. I write about the dark stuff. I write about loss and loneliness, death and blindness. I am drawn creatively to the bleaker side of things, to figuring out what darkness truly means. But, I am also motivated by the words themselves, by the power they have to transport someone into a place or a feeling or a moment. I think the beauty of language can give even the darkest things a certain light.
6. What is your work ethic?
My work ethic is a bit fluctuating. I go from thinking I need to write every day, which almost always leads me to feelings of failure, to loosening the reins and letting myself go for periods without writing, pushing the rules aside to allow the creativity to take hold. I have never done well with rules, and so tend to feel stifled, creatively, if I adhere to many of them to my writing practice. I may be at my desk every day, but if I am just reading, that is ok. Reading is such a huge part of being a writer and I like to honour that.
7. How do the writers you read when you were young influence you today?
The writers I read when I was young are at the roots of my poetry. Poets like Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton and Sharon Olds, taught me the power of language. Writers like Amy Tan and Yukio Mishima taught me that even in darkness, a certain magic can be infused into writing. These are things that I will always strive for and hold onto tightly.
8. Who of today’s writers do you admire the most, and why?
I am taking full advantage of online publishing and devouring so much incredible contemporary poetry from all over the world. There are so many styles and voices out there, writers who convey the emotion of moments so beautifully. I like poets who write fearlessly, with no window dressing, writers who make me feel encompassed by the words, transported. I am immensely grateful to have so much great poetry to choose from.
If you pick up a copy, please take a moment to leave a rating/review on Amazon once you’ve read it. Reviews go a long way in helping to get indie authors noticed.
We saw some other publishers doing this and thought it was a great idea. Since a lot of people are self-quarantined or hard-quarantined, we’re offering some of our titles for free to help pass the time.
The free eBook offer will last from 03/18 – 03/21.
The links I’m including in this post are for Amazon.com but they are all available for free across all Amazon marketplaces. I don’t want to clog up this post by including thirteen different links for each book. Simply go to whatever Amazon marketplace you shop from and search the title. Easy!
Who doesn’t remember blistering summer days, sweat dripping down the back of your neck. The scent of cotton candy and corndogs dancing on the wonder of flashing lights and neon signs. Trapped in a seemingly never-ending linear congregation. Tingling with anticipation for the magic that awaits just beyond the entrance booth. So close yet so far away. Flaring frustration for your turn at the bloated ticket prices, wallet-draining games of chance, and nausea-inducing twists and twirls, ups and downs.
A day at the park. Family fun for all. Remember to smile.
Eric Keegan returns with a pint-sized collection of whimsical, situational poetry. His sardonic observations and humorous interpretations of life’s small and memorable moments will leave the reader reminiscing of and longing for a return to simpler times.
