First things first: I keep forgetting to reveal the winner of the book giveaway. It’s Melanie! Melanie, I’ll send you an email. Let me know your mailing address and I’ll pass it along to TLC Book Tours.
We’re headed to 55 degrees today. I think we’ll take a little drive this afternoon. Yesterday, I walked up and down the driveway several times and, though it was breezy, the warmer air felt so good!
I want to share a wonderful book that both Don and I are enjoying. I first heard about these books from Miranda Mills last year and I meant to order a copy at the time but somehow didn’t get to it until recently. It’s a book by William Sieghart called The Poetry Pharmacy; Tried-And-True Prescriptions for the Heart, Mind and Soul.
I’m going to add the description from Penguin Books:
Sometimes only a poem will do. These poetic prescriptions and wise words of advice offer comfort, delight and inspiration for all; a space for reflection, and that precious realization – I’m not the only one who feels like this.
In the years since he first had the idea of prescribing short, powerful poems for all manner of spiritual ailments, William Sieghart has taken his Poetry Pharmacy around the length and breadth of Britain, into the pages of the Guardian, onto BBC Radio 4 and onto the television, honing his prescriptions all the time. This pocket-sized book presents the most essential poems in his dispensary: those which, again and again, have really shown themselves to work. Whether you are suffering from loneliness, lack of courage, heartbreak, hopelessness, or even from an excess of ego, there is something here to ease your pain.
The book is truly wonderful. Most mornings, during our second cup of coffee, we will try to track our mood of late and look for something in the book that might reference that. In this first volume there are sections for Mental and Emotional Wellbeing, Motivations, Self-Image and Self-Acceptance, The World and Other People, and Love and Loss. Within each section are subsections like News Overload, or Fear of the Other, or Regret.
Sieghart writes a brief little essay on the subject and the poem he’s chosen and the poem is on the facing page.
We love this because we are exposed to poets we might not encounter otherwise and Sieghart’s writing is lovely. There is a comfort in knowing others have felt that same emotion and not only have they felt it, but they’ve written about it in a poem.
This has become one of our treasured morning rituals. In addition to the volume pictured, there’s another volume, The Poetry Pharmacy Returns, and we’re going to order that as well.
I know many people who routinely read poetry. Aside from Shakespeare and Mary Oliver, I don’t. It’s not that I’m averse to it, I just tend to stick with fiction and nonfiction. This book broadens my poetry horizons and that’s a good thing.
Still reading A Chelsea Concerto, about London during the Blitz. It’s beautifully written.
Stay safe.
Happy Wednesday.
Movement, freedom outside!! Refreshing. The poetry books sounds wonderful. I have a few anthologies but I never seem to read them because I don’t want a big dose of Browning, Whitman, Tennyson at one time. The form of prescriptions gives some order. A woman I buy handmade watercolors from often includes snippets of poetry in her packages–little treasures to enhance the palette. In 2 weeks I get my second Moderna shot. I’m going to have to fight a desire to hop on a plane to somewhere…start small, Nora, I tell myself. Maybe 5 of us at the bookstore first! I miss the booksellers and baristas. Talk about essential jobs: the person who knows what kind of tea you want, the grocery clerk who makes sure your eggs and bread aren’t at the bottom of the bag, the post office clerk who gives you an extra few minutes to pick out stamps, and as we’ve heard wonderful stories of FedEx and pizza delivery persons. I doubt it will happen, but I would love it if this pandemic has instilled in us how vital our neighborhood infrastructure is.
For some reason the time span between our first and second shot is a month. So we have to wait an extra week!
Stay safe, Nora.
It is so nice to say good-bye to the giant piles of snow! I am enjoying the warmer weather but, of course, I know that the cold can return any time! Stay safe!
Exactly – I’m sure it will be back, but I’m hearing more birdsong every morning. When I see my first robin, I’ll know Spring is here.
Stay safe, Ellen!
Getting outside even for a bit is so healing to me. I hope to get out a bit today as it’s not raining and I need some fresh air. The poetry sounds lovely.
I’m going to get out again today, if only to walk up and down the driveway several times.
Stay safe, Linda!
It sounds lovely, Claudia. I don’t really read poetry often — like you, I’m fiction and non. But I appreciate it (especially Mary Oliver, but then who doesn’t?). I’ll check this one out.
I messaged you an article from NYT on actors and health insurance. You may have already seen it but just in case!
Yes, I saw it and responded! Thanks so much, Jeanie.
Stay safe!
I’m not really one for poetry reading although I can still remember huge chunks of poems that I had to study for English Literature exams.
William Sieghart is a great champion for libraries over here and that’s always a bonus.
I am currently reading ‘Small Pleasures’ by Clare Chambers. Fiction set in the late 1950s but based on a real event whereby a woman claims to have had a virgin birth and a local newspaper send their female journalist to investigate. It’s very good.
Happy Wednesday
Thanks for mentioning the book which was news to me. I am a reader of poetry on a regular basis. Shakespeare, both his poems and plays, come first but there are so many others who say what I feel. Tops among others are Pablo Neruda and Emily Dickinson.
Yes, I like Neruda as well.
Stay safe, Brenda!
Sounds very interesting indeed!
Stay safe, Dee Dee!
Sounds like such a lovely book! Another Miranda recommendation! That’s wonderful!
I find I like many of the same books she does, but of course, I love contemporary and bloody mysteries as well and I don’t think those are on her list!
Stay safe, Mamey.
I am thrilled that I’m the winner of your book giveaway! Thank you so much.
That poetry book sounds right up my alley. I love poetry and have a “thing” for books that give you snippets of joy according to your moods. I will definitely check this one out. Are you familiar with The Moth Presents books? I have a couple of those and they’re wonderful stories, but nothing heavy. Sometimes these stories are the perfect reading for before I go to bed.
Aren’t these warmer temps and fresh air wonderful? I have been going on a walk every single day again these past few weeks. I really missed my daily walks during the frigid temps. The sunshine, fresh air and movement keeps me feeling good, physically and mentally.
xoxo
I’ve listened to The Moth and I have a dear friend who has competed on that show and won.
I love this weather. It’s good for the soul.
Congrats, Melanie.
Stay safe!
PS – looking on Amazon, there’s also The Poetry Remedy. :-)
That’s the American version of the book I wrote about. Don’t buy it – or buy it but don’t buy The Poetry Pharmacy.
Ah, thanks for the heads up.
xo
the little poetry i know (bits and pieces by neruda, hafiz, rumi, mary oliver …) is beautiful and much enjoyed … but i read, by far, much, much more non-fiction than fiction. poetry is a distant third. still, i once took a poetry-writing class. even though i expected i’d have to publicly share with the class whatever i wrote, i was excited about it (i love to write and wanted to try a different format). then came the first session and the teacher explained her belief that poetry is always lyrics in need of music and that we would have to sing our poems. uh … no. i could read them, but wasn’t going to try to come up with music and sing so i left after that session and didn’t go back. and the world still turns on its axis. :)
thanks for another interesting book review.
hope you had a good day.
kathy in iowa
It’s not really a review. Reviews are official and this is just me chatting about a book I’m enjoying!
A favorite exercise in voice and acting classes is to sing the text – it’s surprisingly effective and enriches the meaning in ways that are illuminating.
Stay safe.
glad you’re enjoying the book!
i can appreciate the value of singing the text, poetry or otherwise, but i went into that class wanting to focus on writing … not worrying about performance. :)
thanks, claudia.
kathy in iowa
Taking time to Florida…since pandemic have t driven far…1000 miles will go by quickly….
Yes, take your time, Brenda. xoxo
Stay safe.
P S am reviewing a book of short stories by Pilcher…will be put soon…I don’t usually read this genre except those stories I taught and enjoyed…Poe…Hawthorne, etc…they are fine…great writer…
xoxo