Mitten in der Nacht l uft Weldon Keyes zu einem nahegelegenen Rangierbahnhof und springt auf einen Kohlezug auf, der ihn von seinem Zuhause und sich selbst davontr gt. Auf seiner Reise quer durch die USA schreibt er Briefe an Zoe, seine Freundin aus Kindertagen, in denen er ihr von seinen Erlebnissen erz hlt und versucht, sich ber sich selbst und seine Gef hle f r Zoe klar zu werden. W hrend er sich auf seiner Suche danach, was in seinem Leben wirklich wichtig ist, immer weiter entfernt, befreit er sich von allem, von dem er glaubt, dass es entbehrlich oder gar berfl ssig sei. Wird er zu weit reisen, um jemals wieder zu Zoe zur ckzukehren? Dies sind seine Briefe der Liebe. Dies sind seine Briefe ber das Leben. Dies sind seine Briefe an Zoe.
Do nice guys really finish last? Evan Moore struggles through the breathtaking wilderness of Alaska and a brutal summer job in a salmon cannery to discover that life is not a game. Evan learns that life is a musical language that flourishes as it is sustained. There is no race. There is no finish. The real challenge is to survive, not alone, but together in the refreshing novelties of our differences. This nice guy is built to last.
Martha is a dancer. She was dancing before she was born. She dances through her childhood. She dances through her career. Dance is the perfect subject to explore the physical reality of our lives. Dance is an activity that excites the dynamics of involvement while minimizing disruptions. Typically, society advices individuals that disruptions can only be avoided through compromise, acquiescence, subjugation and abnegation. Dance demonstrates how life may be pursued to the vigorous extremes while maintaining harmony. There is no more perfect melding of robust exertion and intricate expression in human nature. Through dance, strength is presented not through a capacity for destruction, but rather the ability to maintain a composure that can withstand the extremes of physical and creative expression. Dance demonstrates the ability to broaden the limits of liberated movement, not through reckless abandon, but through gracious balance, dedicated integrity and bold aspiration. Dance is more than the refinement of the human physique; dance is the refinement of the human character. This poem is a lyrical narrative depicting an art that is not about life, but is life as this life is lived by a dancer. III.iii.2 Upon the stage, Martha stands in her placeand waits. Her body is lunging to movein every direction at once. Beyond the curtain, the clatter of clapping, then a sudden hush.The conductor stands upon the podium, a glowing figure in the darkness before the sparkling polish of the instruments.At one moment, there is perfect silence, as if space was the surface of a placid lake.The speaker announces, "In humanityI see grace, beauty and dignity.Here. Let me show you." Then the curtain lifts with the rush of Niagara. The musicmoves, filling the openness with consoling tones, a melody of the woods twirling ribbons of wind and gently, the dance begins.
Garrett Buhl Robinson's 5th book of poetry is a combination of new poems and two libretti. The 16 new poems touch upon a variety of subjects. "The Way You Say" is inspired by his principal muse - performance dance. There is also a sonnet on Albert Einstein's famous equation from his theory of special relativity: "E=mc ", an equation Mr. Robinson finds to be an exquisite poem within itself. Other poems are inspired by various people and their work ranging from the poet's personal friends to Dr. Ruth Westheimer. The collection opens with the eponymous villanelle, "Fortune". Inspired by the success of his solo musical, Letters to Zoey, Mr. Robinson composed two new libretti included in the publication. The first libretto, Discounter, presents a mattress sales person who demonstrates his pizzazz on the showroom floor while comically stumbling on some issues of moral ambiguity. The second libretto, On the Stage of Every Day, presents a homeless, poetic street vendor interacting with the public in the frenzy of New York City.
Nel cuore della notte, un ragazzo cammina verso una vicina stazione di smistamento e salta su un treno a carbone che lo porter via da casa.Nel corso di quasi un anno, viagger su treni da carico, far l'autostop sulle autostrade e vagher in mezzo alla natura selvaggia. Attraverso i suoi viaggi, compone lettere in cui descrive le sue avventure mentre tenta di fare i conti con se stesso e i suoi sentimenti per Zoe.Man mano che si allontana sempre di pi , il ragazzo si disfa di tutto ci che sente come superfluo in una incessante ricerca di ci che essenziale nella vita.Durante quest'avventura, il ragazzo abbandoner tutto, incluso se stesso? Andr troppo lontano per tornare mai da Zoe?Queste sono le sue lettere di Amore.Queste sono le sue lettere per la Vita.Queste sono le sue lettere a Zoe
Each brick was set by someone's hands. Every pane of glass was snugly fit into a frame. The steel beams and steps were shaped and skillfully secured in place. Then people take the shapes of these countless corridors and fill them with life. Outside, a solitary poet is softly singing lilting lyrics.This collection of poems draws from the inspiration of New York City, reflections from personal experience, the guidance and inspiration of other artists while also presenting a new ballad for the 19th Century folk hero Emperor Norton.This book is a celebration of poetry written in poetry. This is a book for the poetry in us all.
This eclectic selection of shorter poems spans twenty-one years of Garrett Buhl Robinson's career. For the selection, the poet created simple graphic designs that provide visual cues into the subject, content and tone of the poems. In some cases, the audience will find a one to one correspondence between the figures and the lyrics. In other cases, there is more abstract ambiguity and expressive openness to provide diverse dynamics for speculative possibilities. For artistic effect, the images and text become compliments. Each page sets the stage like the scenery for theater. The settings propel the text forward like the scaling steps of a melody to fill the auditory space with orchestrated arrangements. They distinguish and bedazzle like the costumes of elegant dancers. Alternately, the lines of text stitch together patches of images like the motley jig of a jester or the quiet warmth of a quilt. Various displays - figurative or abstract - ignite associative potential to illuminate new perspectives similar to how a theater director experiments with unexpected settings and characterizations to alter or augment expressive potential and re-examine relevance through historic or cultural context. For literature, the use of visual cues and keys are not new. The human mind has a more direct engagement with figurative images than with typed or scripted symbols and signifiers. Through the primary sense of vision, the world appears in images. Comparatively, language is a system of associative terms arranged by rules of syntax instead of the causal laws of physical nature. In the past, scribes and bookmakers would use flourishes and vignettes to evoke a sense of life or substance upon the page. The winding vines and blossoming flowers may seem incidental ornaments, but they are accents that evoke a sense of the literary content growing into the fruition of understanding in the reader's mind. Alternately, the placement of a cornice on the page can substantiate a text so that it appears a solid structure in the architecture of ideas. Poetry is a crucial cultural development of the human species. Poetic traditions are found in every culture. Poetry is an essential tool for preserving social values, mores and folklore while providing paths for broadening intrigue. The tropes, techniques and forms twine continuous lines extending deep into our prehistoric past. Yet, to many people, a poem upon a page appears to be a locked door. They feel they lack the keys to release the jams and unlatch the bolts to explore the deepening passages and grandiose corridors within the expressions. This collection of 30 succinct poems provides vivid and musical access into the endless potential of ingenuity to illustrate that poetry is anything we can imagine.
Emperor Norton is a 19th Century folk hero legendary for his charisma in the most charismatic city in the world - San Francisco. Prospering as a merchant for years, an ill-timed investment wiped away his fortune. After a short hiatus he re-emerged, penniless yet undefeated, as the self-proclaimed Emperor of the United States. Marching around in his glorious uniform, he dutifully kept the people of San Francisco delightfully amused. Even to this day, his jocund spirit parades around the city in the merry memories of his storied life. Of the many myths and tales of his life, this ballad was mysteriously discovered in a bottle. However, nobody knows whether it was a bottle washed up on the shore or a bottle passed around in a bar. Let us suppose it is more to the lore In the spirit of Sir John Falstaff, Don Quixote, Ignatius Reilly and all the people who bring joy and merriment into the world, Garrett Buhl Robinson offers 2040 rip-snorting lines of hilarious verse in The Ballad of Emperor Norton.
Back CoverMs. Emily Dickinson was an intrepid, impassioned and absolutely committed artist. With little hope of reaching the public, she devoted herself to her art while knowingly and willingly sacrificing her life without any sense of social fulfillment so she could develop her mind and refine her skills in accordance with her own individual artistic vision. Through her dedication, her determination and her genius, Ms. Emily Dickinson is truly one of the epoch making poets in the history of civilization. She presents the attentive reader with completely new ways to see the world. The incandescence, presence and astounding sublimity of her marvelous perspectives remain novel, insightful and inspirational. Her words still awaken the world.As a poet, I know Ms. Dickinson does not need any help from me. However, I will be the first to admit that I have needed help from her. The resolve, persistence and courage she showed through her life and her work have provided instruction and encouragement for my commitment to my own artistic aims. This book is my meager attempt to express my appreciation and gratitude for her magnificent art, her dauntless spirit and her luminous life. Garrett Buhl Robinson
Pilgrims is an epic poem portraying the dramatic events transpiring between 1620 and 1627 with the settlement of Plymouth Colony. The poem consists of 76 chapters and an epilogue with over 10,000 lines composed in heroic quatrains. Table of Contents- 1620 -1. Elder William Brewster's Sermon2. The Belligerent Sailor3. Sea Burial4. The Broken Beam5. Man Overboard6. Land Ho 7. The Mayflower Compact8. First Expedition9. Second Expedition10. Interval11. Keg of Powder12. Third Expedition- 1621 -13. Building the Town / Billington's Sea14. The Rendezvous15. The Great Sickness16. Military Orders17. Samoset18. Samoset Returns19. Spring20. Massasoit Ousamequin21. Tisquantum Teaches22. The Mayflower's Departure23. John Carver24. Memorial25. The Town's Election26. First Pilgrim Marriage at Plymouth27. Envoy to Ousamequin28. Journey to Nauset29. The Shadow of Sachem Corbitant30. Envoy to the Massachusetts31. The First Thanksgiving32. Fortune33. Weston's Letter34. The Governor's House- 1622 -35. The Narragansett Threat36. Fortification and Drill37. Envoy to the Massachusetts Delayed38. Tisquantum's Accusations39. Tisquantum's Deception Exposed40. Saving Tisquantum / Ousamequin's Demand41. The Sparrow's Shallop42. Thomas Weston's Deception43. More Rationing44. The Meetinghouse45. Charity46. Strength in Weakness47. Discovery48. Thankless Giving49. The Shoals50. Tisquantum, the Passing of a Friend51. Returning from the Shoals- 1623 -52. Weston's Settlement Fractures53. Visit to Sowams54. Guests of Sachem Corbitant55. Hobomock Reveals the Plot against the Pilgrims56. Captain Standish Rescues Weston's Men57. An Unexpected Visitor58. Private Enterprise59. The Courage to Carry On60. The Anne's Arrival61. Reaching an Agreement at the Town Meeting62. Wedding Day63. Negotiating Wages for the Crew of the Little James64. A Visit from the Governor General65. The Great Fire- 1624 -66. Annual Elections67. Winslow's Return68. Plymouth Council / Oldham's Confession69. Hopes and Joys70. John Lyford71. For One and All72. The Trial73. Constantly Inconstant74. Raising the Pinnace- 1625 -75. John Oldham Returns76. Gaining Independence- Epilogue -1626 and 1627Appendixes1. Mayflower Compact2. "The names of those which came over first" from William Bradford's Of Plimoth Plantation3. Maps
Paperback EditionThe paperback edition of City of Poems contains all the images and poems from the original hardcover, however the images were edited into diptychs so the turning of every page opens a spectacular view into the exhilarating heights of New York City. This book is a celebration of the colossal grandeur and the dynamic drive of New York City. It is a personal testimony that the heart of this city is found in the life of every resident and every visitor who has ever gazed at the glint of sunlight at the tips of the towers and raced with the exhilarating pace of this tireless place. On March 30, 2011, Garrett Buhl Robinson arrived in New York City. After flying into La Guardia Airport, he took the bus to 125th Street and then the 6th Train downtown to Bleecker Street and stayed the first week at Bowery Street. Through the years, he has bounced around the city, living at various places, while steadily promoting his work from his little bookstand on 5th Avenue. This book marks the 10th anniversary of his arrival in New York City with a celebration of one of the most spectacular places on the planet through images of the city and poems about the struggles of trying to make a living with nothing but a dream.
backcover This book is a celebration of the fine art of dance. The first and eponymous part of the book - Beauty beyond Reason - is a cycle of lyrics composing the libretto of a ballet chant that portrays the glorious beauty in the disciplined devotion of the dancers as they relentlessly strive for the mastery and excellence of their art. The second part of the book - Pas Seul - is a collection of eight lyrical poems that span twenty years of the poet's career. The book also illuminates how the art of dance has inspired and guided the poet's own artistic development and endeavors. Foremost, the book illustrates how dancers are the poets in the language of life.
This book will delight the easy reader while also intriguing the thoughtful scholar. The poems are composed in formal structures that provide more tickle to the topics. There are the quatrains of encapsulated rhymes in "The Pond and the Palace", the heroic couplets of "Standing at Attention" and a balladic eclogue on aesthetics in a cow pasture in "Beauty and the Beetle". The book also contains three more balladic caprioles that jest and jibe on sundry subjects. One visits ancient Macedonia where young Alexander the Great struggles at learning geometry despite having one of the most illustrious instructors of civilization on leave from the Lyceum - no less than the peripatetic Aristotle ponderously pacing in "A Classic Lesson". Another ballad comically portrays the ironic (or perhaps siliconic or maybe transistor-diculous?) introduction of Artificial Intelligence into the world of Academia with a computer that composes poetry - "The Milton Machine". The book concludes with contrasting "Presentations of Poetry" with the magical appearance of a mythical creature playing a supporting role, reminding us that the nature of creativity is not what we expect whether we consider the extraordinary novelty of scholastic exegesis or the whimsical flights of poetic fancy. The book's back cover also provides a short little quip in verse of the Poet in the Park where the author depicts the ironies of the spinning wheel of fortune in the poem "Good Luck "
- from the back cover -Ballet and Sonnets are two artistic forms that originated in Italy during the Renaissance. Through the centuries, they have both travelled around the world. In the meticulous techniques of these two forms, artists have found a boundless potential for expression that poignantly and profoundly touches upon the essence of human nature. Garrett Buhl Robinson composed his first sonnet for ballet in 1998. For his third book of poetry for dance, he has composed 98 sonnets celebrating the art form that has both inspired his work and guided his artistic endeavors.Through this cycle of sonnets, the expressions transform through various metaphorical illustrations to convey the majestic ways ballet moves through the world as the elegant dancers move through ballet. The strict metrical formulations of the lyrical lines and the elaborate rhetorical structures mimic the precision of the ballerina's intricate steps. Foremost, the sonnets illustrate how the preeminent art of ballet can guide and inspire everyone's life as we all try to move through the demands of society with the grace of the enchanting dancers who have devoted their lives to mastering the excellence of their art.
In 1861, with the onset of the Civil War, Walt Whitman resolved to live a life of chastity. Then hearing of his brother's injury in the Battle of Fredericksburg, he travelled into the infernal fire of a hellish war. Upon arriving at the front in Virginia, he began volunteering as a wound dresser at the Union hospitals. He spent most of his time through the war attending to the courageous soldiers in the hospitals - providing them with aid as a nurse, lending them books, giving them stationary and postage for letters home (and in many cases serving as an amanuensis for soldiers who could not write the letters themselves because of the severity of their injuries), money from his own pocket and compassion for their sacrifices. Songs for Walt provides an account of the horrific years that sustained a nation and transformed a common man who became one of the greatest poets.
