Good morning/afternoon/night! Whatever time it may be in your corner of the world, I wanted to let everyone know The Adventures of Brain Man by Ron Whitehead is now available! I’ll post today’s Featured Writer for y’all in a little while as well, putting it together now.
Ron Whitehead takes you on a journey across lands and through mindscapes in The Adventures of Brain Man. Searching for his “Other” brother, The Brain Man, who left home at seventeen for Oxford on an academic scholarship never to be seen again. Only heard about in news reports, magazine articles, and the occasional poem in various publications. After finding a mysterious and scathing letter about a book Brain had written in a secret part of the attic, Ron sets off to find his brother for answers. Ultimately finding himself in the end.
Cover Art: “Allfather” by Ryan Case Ink, acrylic paint on watercolor paper.
In this collection, you’ll find two versions of each poem, created by two poets sharing one voice in their own distinct way. A collaboration that experiments with editing and style by Merritt Waldon & Ron Whitehead.
“Oracles from a Strange Fire: poems by Merritt Waldon and Ron Whitehead was born out of an exchange between Ron Whitehead and me. Upon receiving a gift package of books and CDs from Ron, and in the spirit of free sharing between poets, I sent Ron a handful of poems. He told me he liked them, and that he had been editing them. His words were more than welcome as I have been scarcely published, and never edited. Then it came to me: what if a book was published of my original poems, along with Ronβs edited version. on opposite pages, or next to one another, similar to bilingual editions of poetry. Ron liked the idea so I selected random poems from the past five years and sent them to him. Ronβs edits grew. Two voices became one then another voice was born. And so the birth of my first published BOOK, an experiment in language in life in living in poetry, a joint collaboration between two poets on the opposite sides of the Ohio. I proudly present Oracles from a Strange Fire.” βMerritt Waldon
“Not long ago Merritt Waldon sent me four poems and asked me if I would read them and offer feedback. I edited two of them. Often, when I edit I end up losing myself and rewriting the poem(s). Merritt suggested we do a volume of his poems accompanied by my edits/transformations. In the midst of working on some other big projects I said HellYeah! A couple of weeks later, the Oracles from a Strange Fire collaboration was completed. Merrittβs poems are on the left hand page and my edits/transformations are on the right hand page.
I’m excited for Merritt on getting his first book accepted for publication. I’m honored to be part of it. Thank you to James Dennis Casey IV and Cajun Mutt Press for publishing this experiment in poetry. Language always has been and forever will be an experiment.” βRon Whitehead, Kentucky Outlaw Poet
Happy Halloween from βππ§π²π« ππ²π±π± ππ―π’π°π°, and stay tuned for today’s two Featured Writers in the spirit of the season.
“Life, is a collection of short stories dealing with love, loss and grief set against a backdrop of vivid locations and bold situations.R. Keithβs unique style imbues each story with a rare profundity that makes each tale enjoyably memorable both in its own right and as part of this accomplished anthology.” βAdrian Hall, Visual Artist
“In these poems and short prose pieces, Will Mayo again demonstrates the simple clarity that makes his writing so appealing. Whether it’s a story about visiting the dead or historical glances at Sally Rand or Harlan Ellison, Mayo describes with his unique style the parameters of particular lifetimes and Eternity in general. He stares long into the abyss, never losing his footing.” βRobert L. Penick, Editor of Ristau: A Journal of Being
