Reviews with TLC

Dear Future by Jennifer Richter took me on an unexpected journey. Many of the poems felt like I was delving into a stream of thought but somehow that unsettling feeling felt like it was intentional and part of the theme. Given the personal nature of many of the poems, there were many times when I felt voyeuristic while reading Dear Future . There seemed to be a message about accepting the moment and not expecting more than the moment offered even when that moment was laden with expectations. Richter made me stop and re-evaluate my perception and understanding of both the poems and human nature more than once. Dear Future is an interesting if somewhat elusive book of poetry. Currently Reading: A People's History of the United States  by Howard Zinn   Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World  by Jason Hickel Parable of the Sower  by Octavia E. Butler Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links meaning if you click on those links and make a purchase, I earn a...

Disarming the Narcissist: Surviving & Thriving with the Self-Absorbed, Third Edition by Wendy T. Behary, LCSW is an interesting book. Behary approaches narcissism in a way that surprised me. The first surprise was to see her refer to narcissism as a kind of spectrum ranging from healthy to damaging narcissism. I had never considered the possibility of healthy narcissism. I had to stop at that point and really think about what she was saying before moving on. The examination of schemas and the encouragement to examine one's own schemas as well as those of the narcissist in one's life was interesting and at times a little uncomfortable, especially when it came to examining the other person's schemas. The techniques in Disarming the Narcissist often feel like, as Behary acknowledges more than once, they cater to the narcissist. It feels like many of the techniques described could work better for communication in general, but also I could see them backfiring, especially w...

Verseweavers: the Oregon Poetry Association Anthology of Prize-winning Poems Number 29/2024 is an enjoyable collection of the poems that won the OPA's 2024 poetry contests. The book is divided by contest category and includes comments from the judges. I enjoyed the vast majority of the poems and found the commentary of the judges interesting. The thought-provoking and emotion-provoking poems reminded me how our life experiences can serve to bring us together or drive us apart depending on how we interact with both our experiences and each other. I look forward to receiving my copy of Verseweavers every year because the poems are always an interesting compilation of thoughts, attitudes, emotions, and experiences. Currently Reading: A People's History of the United States  by Howard Zinn   Disarming the Narcissist: Surviving & Thriving with the Self-Absorbed  by Wendy T. Behary Parable of the Sower  by Octavia E. Butler Dear Future  by Jennifer Richter Discl...

If I Must Die: Poetry and Prose by Refaat Alareer starts its emotional impact with the cover and continues it page after page. Alareer weaves emotion with intellect through beautiful phrasing whether writing poetry or prose. If I Must Die examines the experience of Gazans through the eyes of a family man, poet, and scholar. The prose takes the reader into the moments of despair, moments of hope, and moments of resilience while living under bombardment and occupation. The poetry dips into the reader's heart and lifts humanity a little higher like a kite flying above inhumanity. Alareer consistently reminds the reader that history is the present and the present is history by demonstrating the connections of family and land that reach through generations. If I Must Die is a stark but inspirational reminder that holding on to hope isn't a luxury but a necessity in the struggle for liberation. Currently Reading: A People's History of the United States  by Howard Zinn   Disarm...