A close family member is struggling with dementia right now, and it has been a heart-breaking situation for my extended family, not to mention my immediate family here in Utah. But where there is suffering, there is healing, and I have created a healing volume called DEMENTIA, that in part deals with this painful subject. Some poems have already appeared in Poetry and Mental Health, the magazine.
In the German culture, people do not buy presents for loved ones on their birthdays, the birthday boy (or girl) gifts presents to his or her friends and family. When Erin asked me what I wanted for Christmas this year, I had just the idea. A heartfelt book of personal poetry dealing with family and friends, with love and loss and all that is in beween. Think of it like an Irish wake, in book form.
The book itself is of no cost to you. If you are a member of my immediate family, you will recieve an autographed soft cover copy in the snail mail. No cost.
In December, a five day long time will come when the book will be available to you as a digital book, free of charge also. Not quite the same keepsake, but available to all with screens like kindle or other screen-based book reading technology.
Last, but certainly not least, after the first week in Demember, the renowned opera singer and narrator/actor Paul Hart Cochran will perform the poetry for Audible, and you can access these readings for free through audible. We only ask if you do this that you consider giving his performance a careful listen and some kudos.
More on this project as it develops,
Chris McClelland