The book launch day was a great success with a good attendance and many books were purchased and I gratefully signed them all. Thank you to Judy, Maureen, and Maja for sending me the photos.
I’m doing the introductory thank you’s with Frankie’s help …
“Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.” – Charles Addams My two Philadephia cousins will be staying at my little abode in seven days time, which also happens to be the day of my “Perceptions” book launch. I have not been panicking “much”, and my cleaning-up and preparation has been a process of organised chaos!
Hello dear readers and followers … Party Time is here, with the announcement Date for the Launch of my second Book “Perceptions” … A Collaboration of Derrick Knight’s Photos and my associated Ekphrastic Poems …
And here ‘again’ is Ingrid Wilson’s fabulous Book Review of “Perceptions” Please visit her wonderful site >> https://experimentsinfiction.com/
Perceptions by Ivor Steven and Derrick Knight
Perceptions is a cross-continental collaboration from poet Ivor Steven (Australia) and photographer Derrick J. Knight (United Kingdom). Here are dragons, faeries, foals and swans captured in verse and image, which complement one another perfectly. The images are predominantly of nature, and perhaps reflect humanity’s struggle to find a place within the natural world, in the ruins of so-called ‘progress’, as evinced by Ivor’s poem, ‘Mankind’s Dirty Hands:’
within nature’s naked forest waiting for mankind’s dirty hands to stop the desert sands from ravaging the last strands of what remains hanging over our land
The poems are a mixture of haiku, senryu and longer poems featuring Ivor’s trademark end-rhymes:
All the world is green within my midday dream please, do not disturb me let me sleep, let me be – (from the poem, ‘There Will Be An Answer’)
Other contributors who deserve credit are Derrick’s wife, Jackie Knight, who has provided some excellent photography (I particularly like her images of birds) and of course, Ivor’s niece, Kerri Costello, who designed the cover, and linked the book to yet another continent (she lives in Philadelphia, USA).
The book (available from Lulu) is a fortuitous combination of verse and image. Despite his own advice to the contrary in the section ‘Do not quote me,’ I will end with what strikes me as a most pertinent quote from Ivor:
“A poet following a poet, gives you poetry in motion.”
It is a testament to the friendships formed on WordPress that these two artists have been able to collaborate successfully and bring this globe-spanning project to fruition!
Happy Reading, Ingrid Wilson
Editor & Publisher, Experiment in Fiction (England)
“As a poet, sometimes we confuse ourselves, Trying to create ashes, instead of fire ” — Leonard Cohen
This evening I celebrated “World Poetry Day” at a special event sponsored by Deakin University and Geelong Regional Library, which was held in the magnificent Geelong Library Building, featuring recitals from six exceptional poets, John Bartlett, Wendy Fleming, Rosemary Blake, Maria Takolander, Rachel Baxter, and Anne Elvey.
For World Poetry Day I am presenting a poem from my new book Perceptions – “A Soul’s Weary Retreat”, which I scanned directly from the book.
Video Below: Leonard Cohen reciting “A Thousand Kisses Deep”
Today I am presenting an article about my recent book “Perceptions”, which was Edited & Published by Judy at Jaymah Press. Below I have attached my ‘Web-copy’ from Jaymah’s website, which clearly explains “our” book’s innovative concept … Also, I am pleased to announce that my “book launch” for Perceptions will be on: Sunday 16th April 3.30pm, at the Box Office Cafe.
“In Need of a Wise Owl” is a poem from my book “Perceptions”, and I have scanned “page 4” directly out of my copy and reproduced it here, to give everyone an idea of how each page appears to the reader. The wonderful photos are by Derrick Knight (Southern England), and all have one of my Ekphrastic poems below the associated image. The fantastic cover artwork is by my amazingly talented niece Kerri (Bensalem, USA)
“Déjà Vu”. Lyrics by, Crosby Stills Nash & Young
One, two, three, four
If I had ever been here before I would probably know just what to do, don’t you? If I had ever been here before on another time around the wheel I would probably know just how to deal with all of you
And I feel like I’ve been here before Feel like I’ve been here before And you know it makes me wonder What’s going on under the ground, hmm
Do you know? Don’t you wonder What’s going on down under you?
We have all been here before, we have all been here before We have all been here before, we have all been here before We have all been here before, we have all been here before
I am not sure how to explain my inner feelings within my heart today. I know Dad and Mum would be proud of my achievements, and that my Dear Carole would be crying tears of “Liquid Joy” for me … I received the most wonderful news today … my books “Tullawalla and Perceptions” have been accepted by the Geelong Regional Library, and will soon be available on Library’s bookshelves. A big thank you to Kim, the Collection Support & Information Services Officer at the Geelong Library, for accepting my books. When I began writing (scribbling) poetry 22 years ago, not long after my first stroke, Leonard Cohen’s music and poetic lyrics had a huge influence on the emotions behind my words, and probably his song I have attached below, “One of Us Cannot Be Wrong”, still evokes my heart every time I listen to the incredibly beautiful lyrics.
It’s Just A Little Dream (Tullawalla, page 113)
I’ve been waiting inside For that never-never ride Wishing for that little shrug To turn into a dream-time hug
I’ve been waiting outside Trying not to hide Wishing for that little smile To travel one more mile
I’ve been waiting all-day Calling out, please stay Wishing for that little heartbeat To lay down at my feet
I’ve been waiting all-night For that one-way flight Wishing for that little dove To glide down from above
I’ve been waiting, seems forever Crying quietly, oh, whatever Wishing for that little embrace To sleep with me, face to face
If you are looking for some recommended reading, I have the following book reviews for you from Merril D. Smith, and Ivor Steven/Derrick Knight. Curl up with a cup of coffee and read on…
River Ghosts by Merril D. Smith
This delightful volume of over 50 original poems is Merril’s debut poetry collection, published by Nightingale and Sparrow Press. The striking cover was designed by Merril’s child Jay Smith, maintaining the strong family connection which runs throughout this book, dedicated to the memory of the author’s mother, Sylvia L. Schreiber.
The book is haunted by ghosts, from the title poem onwards:
ghosts in dusty grass sit still in the long ago, a gull’s laugh breaks the silence… echoes
These echoes are a recurring and unifying theme throughout the book, in keeping with the author’s dedication to her mother, whose “laugh still echoes.”
There are echoes of the distant past, in poems such as ‘Antikythera Mechanism’ and ‘Jawbone: Homo Sapiens,’ which display Merril’s interest in, and strong connection with, ancient history:
His epitaph, “eight teeth, one broken.” Not living, no longer here, yet not completely gone.
True, too, of the skeletons of the more recent past. ‘Observe, And Again’ carries echoes of the Holocaust:
Freighted bodies bound for the unknown—
a train to hell where fear is the constant.
Atrocities prefigured in ‘The Pogrom:’
and I do carry within me the burnt ruins
of that long-ago pogrom—
an incipient conflagration—who knows?
All levels of history and deep time are here, from human history to the evolution of the universe; subjects close to my heart, as is the historical reputation of women, so thoughtfully examined in ‘Through the Ages, She Is Blamed:’
scared of her knowledge, scared if she’s free those named and nameless who do not see it is they, not she, who commit the atrocities.
There is so much to love in this collection! I could go on, but I encourage you to discover this stunning debut for yourself: River Ghosts is available from Amazon.
Perceptions by Ivor Steven and Derrick Knight
Perceptions is a cross-continental collaboration from poet Ivor Steven (Australia) and photographer Derrick J. Knight (United Kingdom). Here are dragons, faeries, foals and swans captured in verse and image, which complement one another perfectly. The images are predominantly of nature, and perhaps reflect humanity’s struggle to find a place within the natural world, in the ruins of so-called ‘progress’, as evinced by Ivor’s poem, ‘Mankind’s Dirty Hands:’
within nature’s naked forest waiting for mankind’s dirty hands to stop the desert sands from ravaging the last strands of what remains hanging over our land
The poems are a mixture of haiku, senryu and longer poems featuring Ivor’s trademark end-rhymes:
All the world is green within my midday dream please, do not disturb me let me sleep, let me be (from the poem, ‘Let It Be’)
Other contributors who deserve credit are Derrick’s wife, Jackie Knight, who has provided some excellent photography (I particularly like her images of birds) and of course, Ivor’s niece, Kerri Costello, who designed the cover, and linked the book to yet another continent (she lives in the US).
The book (available from Lulu) is a fortuitous combination of verse and image. Despite his own advice to the contrary in the section ‘Do not quote me,’ I will end with what strikes me as a most pertinent quote from Ivor:
“A poet following a poet, gives you poetry in motion.”
It is a testament to the friendships formed on WordPress that these two artists have been able to collaborate successfully and bring this globe-spanning project to fruition!
Happy Reading, Ingrid
Again, Thank You Ingrid, and here is a poem you mentioned in your review …
There Will Be An Answer
All the world is green Within my midday dream Please, do not disturb me Let me sleep, let me be Let it be, let it be
I do not comprehend Your unnatural trends Of killing your neighbours After kicking in their sacred doors
Do not listen to me
Hear the breeze among the trees There, under nature’s ancient marquee She wisely decrees
Live in harmony like the bees Co-existence is free
A poem I wrote in May 2020 and now is published in my book “Perceptions”, page 3, prompted by Derrick Knight’s Featured Photo Above: ‘Hedgerow faeries along Fry’s Lane’ >> https://derrickjknight.com/2020/05/21/hedgerow-fairies/
The Faeries of Fry’s Lane
Walking down Fry’s Lane
Sheltering from the misty rain
I did spy among the hedgerow berries
A Frolic of mystical faeries
Like iridescent glowing canaries
A fluttering of night-time luminaries
Trying not to disturb their magical home
I quietly asked them, “Areyouallalone”
The faeries laughed and danced
They replied, “Your visionisby perchance
and your dreams may turn to stone
if you wish for a golden throne”
Suddenly the glittering sands of time
Illuminating the faeries wings of rhyme
Begun vanishing from their falling stars
And the faeries quickly flew back to their green Avatar
Ivor.Plumber/Poet 