Marianne Brems

Brems' poetry collection Stepping Stones demonstrates a sharp eye for the details and deeper significance of everyday life. She focuses on events we all experience, then shows us how to view them in richer detail with a precision that surprises the reader. Her topics range from natural settings to the most human affairs and shows us something new to appreciate, something fresh to ponder, whether it's dealing with a widow's grief through making soup, a little boy seeking shelter with his mother, or an acquaintance discussing her infertility at the pool.-Emily Strauss, Pushcart Prize nominee for her poems "This Week's Submissions" (2017) and "Happy Day at Exit 346" (2016) What most moves me about Brems' collection, Stepping Stones, is how she marries a strong sense of place with keen observation, resulting in meaningful snapshots of a life lived with discernment and depth. In "Preparing Soup," Brems' conveys care and consideration when she writes, She removes these things from confinement in boxes she will soon flatten. Whether Brems turns her gaze upon a child sucking his thumb, a boy testing the consequences of placing a penny on train tracks, or a woman gently handling a snake, the reader comes away with a sense of larger truths beneath the surface.-Megan McDonald, author of "Phrases" (Redwood Writers Anthology 2023) and San Mateo County Literary Stage Exhibitor of the Year 2018Stepping Stones takes the reader on a splendid journey of reflection and wisdom as it draws on events of everyday life. "Steel Against Copper" reaches into experiences in my childhood growing up in rural Kentucky. "Popsicle on a Hot Day" poignantly expresses sensations we've all had in the heat of summer. The poems in this collection find deep and lasting resonance in a wide variety of venues sure to please any reader.-Bradley Earle Hoge: author of The Drake Equation (Vraeyda Media, Inc., 2023), Nebular Hypothesis (Cawing Crow Press, 2016)

Sliver of Change is a debut collection of twenty-four poems by Marianne Brems. The collection revolves around the theme of transformations, small ones, big ones, frightening ones, peaceful ones that occur at every moment. Her vignettes of everyday life explore quirks of human nature as well as curious aspects of the physical world. Author Audrey Kalman says "These are pieces that appear quotidian but reveal deeper truths. You'll want to read them more than once to connect with the power and emotion lurking under their surfaces."

This book puts an end to the drudgery of merely counting laps by showing you how to create your own individual fitness program--and have fun doing it! Learn how to: Determine your own fitness level Choose an appropriate training program and build upon that program with a variety of innovative workouts Use a timing clock and interval training to increase your speed and endurance Use various training equipment, such as kick boards, hand paddles, and swimming fins to strengthen stroke technique Improve your cardiovascular fitness, muscle tone, and flexibility Included for quick reference are tips for streamlining strokes, checklists for proper stroke execution, and a helpful glossary of training terms as well as a section on the joys and challenges of open water swimming. "I am constantly looking for new approaches which will do at least one of the following, and possibly all three: give me a change from normal routine make me a faster swimmer challenge me to work harder The Fit Swimmer addresses all these in an informative and entertaining way, making this book a valuable resource for all swimmers." -- James E. Counsilman Swimming Coach Indiana University Marianne Brems is a Masters swimmer, coach of the San Mateo Master Marlins, author of Swim for Fitness and 101 Favorite Workouts, and a regular columnist for Swim Swim magazine.