Poetry Books

...I loved the pictures and the poems, and began looking for it 14 years ago for my home. Wish I'd looked at Amazon a while ago. The illustrations stay in your mind forever - whimsical and beautiful. The poems are second to none, and some, I have never found elsewhere. I just about cried for joy today when I got my hands on MY VERY OWN copy. Every house should have one! This book is a true treasure!

I fell in love with this book in my elementary library. I've paid enough late fines on it in the last 15 years to have bought the book several times over. It's here that I fell in love with Lady Clair and a million other classics that have resurfaced over and over in my classes in grade school and college. I want my own copy!

...Begins one of my many favorites introduced to me by this book. My mother (a librarian) first read poems such as "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" to me from this book, and I continued to read them until a hiatus where a young man disdains poetry as not being macho. I rediscovered many an old friend when I started reading these poems to my own children. Now the book is in tatters (glueback bindings do not stand the test of time, especially not in dry Colorado), and I search for a replacement. If the reissue has indeed been 'sanitized' in the name of political correctness, then I fear much will have been lost, and I will be reduced to trying to rebind my tatters.

I have read this so many times my copy is literally falling apart. I am 37, and to this day entire phrases still ring in my head from classics like The Highwayman, Paul Revere's Ride and Jabberwocky ("beware the Jub-jub bird and shun the frumious Bandersnatch!"). In fact, when I took the GRE several years back, my acquaintance with this collection was of more value than my college literature classes. Not only for children - although I would buy a copy for every child I care about if it was still in print.

My siblings & I all grew up on this collection of poems and we each have our favorites. My copy is so old that it is literally falling apart and unfortunatly in storage. I remeber the Lorelei and the Highwayman. Not only was the poetry sweet & memorable but the art was captivating and I learned to draw trying to reproduce the the images. I now have a neice who I will pass this lovely book on to, (especially since my sister cannot remember the name of the book).

Attentive readers have been keeping an eye on Erin Keane for some time now. While her earlier collections showed the promise of a remarkable talent, resting dormant like the proverbial butterfly in the proverbial chrysalis, the Gravity Soundtrack shows her talent blossoming in full, like the proverbial beautiful butterfly coming out of the chrysalis and realizing that is also a beautiful flower of mixed metaphor.

No, really, these are cool poems. If you like poetry; or if you had your love of poetry beaten out of you by reading musty old chestnuts in high school but are willing to accept the idea that they might still be relevant; or if you are indifferent to poetry but like bars, rock music or people; or if you like reading well-observed details about bars, about music, or about people who like them, you should read this book.

It's lowbrow poetry with a sense of humor. Feels like digging around in a junk store and finding that Rohl Dahl book you loved as a kid, half a conversation on the back of a postcard no one thought you'd ever see, and a serviceable copy of one of those albums that makes the critic's lists but you haven't ever heard. It's a good find.

Read the stunning images from a poem entitled "The Tao of Big Daddy" -- "wall panels peel like tears" and "carved space/between yes and no" -- and you can see for yourself why this book amazes, delights and impresses.

Erin Keane's first book is a triumph, a guidepost. Here is a voice that values the young and honors the time-tested. Keane's poems are honest and insightful, easy like breathing, seamless as pulling a trigger. It's like smoking a cigarette with the priest after taking confession. A definite must-read for alienated young readers and seasoned veterans.

In her first full-length collection, Keane imagines the interior lives of record clerks and air guitar geeks, as well as a probable encounter of Shane McGowan meeting her father at an after life dive bar. She approaches her subjects slyly and with love, but never with nostalgia or syrupy sweetness.

Long legs, a sharp tongue and a graceful pen, Keane composed a soundtrack all readers will want to hear.

I read a great many books, and some mysteries, but it is not often that I am sorry to see a book end because I have enjoyed the characters so much that I want to see more of them and to hear more of their exploits. Jude Peters has given us a fully realized professor/sleuth but has left much more to find out. Cotton Mather is at home in his university setting, but even more a resident of Memphis, a city with which Peters seems as familiar as Robert B. Parker is with Boston. Peters also knows his way around universities and the less savory aspects of society, as his detective/professor investigates the death of an Elvis impersonator, stepping on all sorts of toes, encountering people who give meaning to the terms "character" and "local color," all the while demonstrating a fine appreciation for beer, food, and things Southern. I particularly enjoyed the wit and sarcasm of Mather's exchanges with other characters, as well as his observations of university life and human nature. I look forward to encountering him again, as Parker's Spenser is getting along in years, and Jude Peters' Mather seems a fitting character to carry the torch.

A bright new talent is emerging from a list of new authors.Jude Peters' "Guilty Employers" kept us riveted from beginning to end. A "Who Dunnit" laced with humor, well developed interesting characters and intrigue. We hope this is just the first of many Cotton Mather mysteries to come.

This is one of the most intriguing mystery novels I've read in years! The beginning reminds me of a John Grisham novel, but the suspence of the twists and turns in the plot and the humor are more typical of a Spenser novel. I found myself laughing out loud in many places. Because of the occupation of the principal character, there are lots of fun allusions, again reminiscent of Robert Parker. I'm ready for the next Cotton Mather novel--soon I hope.

I found this book to be an extremely enjoyable detective novel. The book has a terrific plot with plenty of suspense. Parts of the book were so funny that I found myself laughing out loud (even though I don't read out loud). In addition to a great plot, Mr. Peters provides the reader with numerous well-developed and interesting characters. The protagonist, Cotton Mather, brings a dry with and a superb combination of street smarts and intellect to the American detective scene. The local color in the book is first-rate. I lived in Memphis for a number of years. Mr. Peters brings nearly every corner of the city to life and displays a keen knowledge of the diversity of Memphis lifestyles and culture. Of course, the Elvis theme provides plenty of color on its own! I've read plenty of American detective novels. I enjoyed Guilty Employers as well as any others I've read. I'd recommend the book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery as well as to anyone who lives in and around Memphis or has ever spent much time there. Long live the King! (wherever he is!)

Guilty Employers is a truly enjoyable book. The plot keeps you guessing (and second guessing) up until the very end. Cotton Mathers is surrounded by a bunch of street-smart social misfits, and you feel as if you're rooting for the underdogs the entire time. Peters interjects quite a bit of humor into these characters, and I found myself laughing out loud. It was very difficult to put this book down, and can't wait until his next book arrives. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys murder mysteries or authors such as Grisham or Ludlum.

If you want to know "how a haiku means" in English (as the poet John Ciardi might have said), buy this book.

Haiku, A Poet's Guide is a concise introduction to the art, craft, and aesthetics of haiku in English. The example haiku alone, selected by Gurga from poems that were suggested by many poets, are worth the price of the book. Gurga's illuminating comments on individual poems and on haiku in general are even more valuable.

An excellent book for the advanced writer of haiku as well as the beginner. You will find yourself referring to it over and over and re-reading it for the sheer pleasure of it. The only error is in the title - I have recommended this wonderful book to many non-poet friends and discovered to my delight that they enjoyed it as much as I. Truly, a treat!

You might like to know the contents of this book:

Forward v

An invitation to Haiku vii
A Note On The Text ix
Acknowledgements x

Contents xii

Haiku -- The Poetry of the Seasons 1
Haiku's seasonal Awareness 3
Japanese Haiku 4
The Development of American Haiku 9

The Art of Haiku 13
Form 14
Season 24
Haiku Moment, Context, and Order of Perception 33
Juxtaposition and Working with Images 38
Senses in Haiku 45
Suggestion and Reverberation 51
Significance and Effect 53

Not Exactly Haiku: Senryu and Zappai 55
Haiku with a Snap: Nature and Human Nature 55
Haiku with a Zap: Wit and Syllable Counting 57

The Craft of Haiku 59
Language 60
Haiku on the Page 67
Other Techniques of Japanese Haiku 77
Haiku Grammar 79
Poetic Devices 84
Objectivity, Subjectivity, and Subjective Realism 92
The Secret to Writing Haiku 104
Getting in the Mood 104

Writing and Revising Haiku 106
Beginners' Haiku 106
A Haiku Typology 108
Why Edit? 112
Guidelines for Editing 112
Publishing Haiku 116

Haiku Arts: Renku, Haibun, and Haiga 119
Linked Verse Forms 119
Haibun 121
Haiga 122

From Basho to Barthes 125
The Aesthetics of Classical Haiku 125
Shiki: Three Stages in the Development of the Haiku Poet 133
Barthes: Finding the Pleats in the Silk of Life 138

From Nature Sketch to Wordless Poem 140
Haiku's Universal Appeal 140
A Look Ahead 143

Works Cited 146

Resources 147

Books 147
Print Journals 152
Online Journals 154
Other Online Resources 154
Haiku Organizations 155

Credits 156

Index 163

***

This is a very informative book about haiku -- what it is and what it is not.

The author's writing is unambiguous and insightful.

He places examples of failed haiku beside successful ones to illustrate the difficulties and subtleties of technique.

***

I was very pleased to find a point addressed that I had always wondered about concerning whether it is better to use the present-tense or participle form for verbs in haiku -- or whether it matters at all.

A haiku almost always will present a moment in the present. That means that the verbs used are likely to be in the form of either the simple present-tense (e.g. runs, paints, fishes, etc.) or participle (e.g. running, painting, fishing, etc).

Well, apparently there is no set rule about which to use, but here is an example of what the use of the participle will allow:

One of my own haiku used as an example:

a garden pond
drawing the moon out
from behind a cloud

The use of drawing allows that it can be read as any of these: "a garden pond [is] drawing" or "...[was] drawing," or even "...[will be] drawing."
Using the participial form provides the haiku with a versatility or flexibility with regard to the dimension of time.

Here's what it would be using the simple present tense form:

a garden pond
draws the moon out
from behind a cloud

The versatility that the participle provided is gone, but it also may be true that this version rings more pleasurably to the ear.

Well, anyway he speaks about that in his book and I just appreciated that he addressed that point; no other haiku book that I have ever read had ever done so.

(By the way, if you are interested in reading about this particular point for yourself it is to be found starting on page 79 in the "Haiku Grammar" section.)

***
In conclusion:

The author thoroughly fills you in about haiku's origins, evolution and its future.

There are many examples of successful haiku from many of today's practicing haiku poets included with valuable analysis for each.

This is a very worthwhile book for becoming acquainted with the haiku verse form and I could find no fault with it.

I heartily recommend it to you.

. . . but anyone serious about writing haiku in English (or any language, if they read English) will find *Haiku: A Poet's Guide* invaluable. Unlike other books on haiku which make your head spin with lists and rules for beginners, this one helps beginners get off the ground and soon reach the point where they can evaluate their own work. Coming as it does from the editor of the premiere English-language haiku magazine and a fine poet (get his *Fresh Scent*, while you're at it), this book goes into more depth, yields more insight, than anything else available in the field so far. This is the one to keep on your desk or in your backpack.

So, you may be hesitating over the price. Don't! Lee Gurga's, Haiku a Poet's Guide, is a MUST have. (Yes, Jane Reichhold's, Writing and Enjoying Haiku, and William J Higginson's, The Haiku Handbook ARE necessary) But this book completes the triumvirate. Gurga's clear, engaging writing style, explanation and example illuminate the path to haiku. If you want to try to write your own or have lingering unanswered questions, this book will dispel any doubts. It's exactly what it says it is, "Haiku: a Poet's Guide", and worth every penny.

I fell upon this book in my university library on a cold, miserable, lonely afternoon. I sat under a maple tree and reading it suddenly I am uplifted, inspired renewed and in love with the verse of Corso, so much so that I had to not only own it but write essays about it, I am, like so many others saddened and grieving that he is so understated. "Marriage" is particularly delectable, though my favourites would have to be "Hair" and "Park". Corso gives what so many poets do not; a joyous and truly wonderous love of words, such that my own writer spirit is awakened. I recommend this book highly to any with a youthful, playful spirit. This is for the artist's heart. Corso has moved me, for you I hope he will do the same.

This was the first Beat book of poetry I ever read, in my teens, and I felt compelled to read more. So I moved on to Ginsberg, and others. There's a poem in this collection that I get a real kick out of and I absolutely love. It's called "Marriage." Very funny and amusing. These poems are really unconventional and highly imaginative in their use of language and free form.

David Rehak
author of "Poems From My Bleeding Heart"

I recomend this book to everyone.it is funny,intellegent,and thrifting

Gregory Corso must have been sitting in an empty room, with nothing more to think of than the emotions controlling his mind. In this book of poetry, the reader will gain a new appreciation for his work. The Happy Birthday of Death is one of the most powerful, and intense collections of writing available.

Perhaps the man who along with Allan Ginsberg altered the way poetry was written and percieved. This is by far his most eclectic collection, featuring the masterful BOMB (perhaps the ultimate epithath for the 20th century) and the brilliant and moving MARRIAGE, POWER, CLOWN and POLICE more of the contents that show what a clever witty deep commentator Corso is. Poems you can mull ove? Definatly! Poems you can analyse? Undoubtable! But here is a collection you can read again and again and enjoy again and again.

In my vocation I work closely with people suffering from chronic mental and physical illnesses. Many of these people experience low confidence, poor self-esteem and lack of motivation. Ian's book is an invaluable resource in helping these people.

Ian Cameron's 'Heal Thyself' is practical, enlightening and entertaining. Most of all it is relevant to people's lives, and my clients successfully adopt its wise philosophies, establishing a more peaceful life.

I can not recommend this very readable book highly enough to clinicians, community and welfare workers and the public seeking solace: a healthy mind, body and spirit. Well done Ian on this humanist achievement.

Peter Folino - Health Care & Employment Coordinator
Melbourne Australia

We all go through times when we need a friend to help us remember the truth in times of trial. This book is such a friend. Ian Cameron's words, and the spirit they embody, are beacons for traversing the dark night of the soul in the journey through illness to wholeness. This potent, therapeutic collection of poetry and higher wisdom is a hand extended from one who has made it through to the Light, to those who are reaching for it. A wonderful accompaniment on your healing path.

The following reviews have been taken from the Heal Thyself website...

"I have read Ian Cameron's book, `Heal Thyself', and am most impressed by it. It is a record of one man's journey from illness to health and as such will be an inspiration and help to others in a similar position, and is evidence of man's need for spiritual guidance and help. We are all complex beings - physical, mental and spiritual; and our total health and well-being requires the addressing of all these aspects."
-Professor Robert Allen, GP (MD), Donvale Medical Center, Australia

"As a natural medicine practitioner for more than fifteen years, I thoroughly enjoyed Ian Cameron's empowering book of self discovery, self healing, recovery to health, and the meaning of life. Ian shows us that anyone who cares about their first asset in life, health, can through their own endeavors, achieve the same ultimate goal of wellness, happiness, and inner peace. I strongly encourage you to read `Heal Thyself' to discover your own inner strength and infinite healing power."
-Dr. Tony Rong, TCM Doctor

"Ian Cameron's compilation of his superlative poems in his book, `Heal Thyself', is a fascinating insight into the vast healing powers of the deep `self'. It is based on his own true-life experience of physical and psychological trauma at the threshold of his adult life. I would highly recommend to anyone facing such seemingly insurmountable odds to delve deeply and benefit from `Heal Thyself'."
-Dr. Krys Szatsznajder, GP (MD), Official Doctor for the Australian National Rowing Team

"Most of us in our journey through life have inevitably experienced one type of illness or another and some like Ian Cameron have gone through terrible physical and psychological problems. Modern medicine has made enormous strides in understanding many of these diseases but has limited answers in curing many of them. Ian's search for answers led him inwards to profound knowledge and eventual cure, which he has effectively and inspiringly brought out in his book `Heal Thyself'."
-Dr. Sriram Gopathy, GP (MD), Melbourne, Australia

"Here is a gentle and subtle poetry by Ian Cameron, which will help a lot in understanding and overcoming the emotional problems. Good thing about his poetry is it places the responsibility of your well-being squarely where it belongs, with you. But if you make that commitment to yourself, you'll be richly rewarded."
-Dr. Shashikant Patwardhan, Ayurvedic Doctor, India

"In 1980, I read Dr. Ainslie Meares book of poems, entitled `Cancer: Another Way', and was impressed with the power of poetry to describe inner healing states. Through his own healing experience, Ian Cameron has brought back some poetic gems from a deep place within. His book, `Heal Thyself', is a valuable source of inspiration for those with chronic illness and stress."
-Dr. Peter Johnston, GP (MD), Family Doctor and Counselor for 35 years

"As I sat reading Ian's book, `Heal Thyself', I was moved to a sense of peace one might feel as one stands quietly before a pond in the early morning mist. His poems have a way of reaching deep within you at the soul level where all true healing begins.

This book is a must for health practitioners, counselors and coaches alike to share with patients and clients as a gentle means for soothing their energy in the midst of discomfort or illness."

-Eva Gregory, Master Coach, Speaker and Author of The Feel Good Guide to Prosperity, San Francisco CA, USA

Ian Cameron takes us on an enlightening journey: a journey chronicling his own personal experiences of illness, fear, and suffering. As he endures every stage of darkness, he shares the evolution of his thoughts and feelings with us, and ultimately, awakens our souls and divine memory. We are ONE, and this is the ultimate truth.
Cameron reminds us that change always comes from within, but that we need to retain faith, and be disciplined and persistent. Even and especially in the darkness come the most precious lessons, so we should not struggle against life but rather, accept and embrace it, along with every experience it brings. We are reminded that everything is as it should be, in every moment, and that there is purpose to everything.
Cameron's own struggles and healing process are an inspiration to us all, and proof that when we go "within," we can find peace and freedom. And like a true warrior of the light that he is, he reminds us that we, too, are powerful beings, capable of healing ourselves, and eventually, the world...

I was recently in London to hear Dr. Diamond speak and was astonished at the literary intelligence of the English. They really loved this book! I think it's such an important work, and wish that every student of literature could look at the classics in the way Dr. Diamond looks at them- for their life energy raising properties.

Blake is always beautiful, and more profoundly so in the style Diamond has laid his words out.

I have always loves Blake - in particular the facsimile editions with Blake's watercolor designs bordering the beautiful copper-plate text, but nowhere have I been struck by the power of his writing to the extent that I have by this volume. The layout that Dr. Diamond has chosen adds immeasurably to the force of Blake's words. The imagery in these passages leaps off the page, and the reader is given a compelling sense of the creative visions that must have inspired Blake to write.

This is a wonderful collection of Blake's later poems is specifically edited to enhance their therapeutic power and comprehensibility. This anthology, more than any other I have come across, helps to make these obscure works accessible; and the layout and punctuation has deepened my experience of them.

What a wonderful book! I highly recommend it as an introduction to Blake. I had read his "Songs of Innocence and Experience," but I did not know his prophetic writings were so powerful. I also enjoyed the humor found in extracts from Blake's letters and other writings. Phrases from the poems come back during my quiet moments, inspiring me with their beauty, imagination and fire. Dr. John Diamond has done a beautiful job in selecting and laying out the passages. His introduction is also stimulating and insightful. In addition, the book is well produced -- it is put together with friendliness and care. (And the cover is exquisite -- worth the price by itself!)

I love this book. I keep it by my armchair and open it when there's a quiet moment. And when I do, the power of Blake comes to me and helps me throughout my day. Only Blake speaks with such passion and strength, and his poetry is presented here unadulterated by titles, footnotes or page the poetry in landscape format so that Blake's long lines need not be broken. Whatever your previous experience of poetry, this book will enhance your life in a way that only such a distillation of Blake could achieve

TJ Fisher calls Hearsay from Heaven and Hades, the follow-up to her award winning Orleans Embrace, a sardonic handbook. But Fisher, whose vocabulary matches her boundless spirit, has put as much joir de vie into Hearsay as irreverence and derision.
The Belle of Bourbon Street has framed her compendium of anecdotes and aphorisms in 40 chapters, titled 40 Days and 40 Nights. As with Orleans Embrace, the author is ever busy resurrecting the spirit and soul of a great city. Neither Rome nor New Orleans was built in a day and Hearsay from Heaven and Hades is to be savored in more than one or two sittings.
In these "sayings for unquiet minds," emotions take every shade, but the overarching theme is Fisher's post Katrina mantra. It resonates in such passages as "Life revolving, ebbing and flowing, outlives catastrophe" and "a rotating pendulum of holy and unholy ruin." Fisher, last year's winner of the Ben Franklin award for Best New Voice, speaks out again as the Orléans mender of broken dreams.


- Garth Puckett

Keep Hearsay from Heaven and Hades on your office desk. Dip into it daily. Read a little at a time and let it sink in. Everyone has a good, bad, sad, sour, dark, light side. Real life is cruel and kind. This book captures the realities of life, love and sorrow and the complex human drama of being alive.

New Orleans is one of America's most intriguing and enigmatic cities. "Hearsay from Heaven and Hades: New Orleans Secrets of Sinners and Saints" is a guide to the countless secrets that cover the city in shadow for its entire existence of over three hundred years. New Orleans is a huge mixture of traditions- the pirates of the seas, the Christian influences, the Haitian VooDoo influences, The Cajun Country influences, the event of Mardi Gras, and so much more. "Hearsay from Heaven and Hades: New Orleans Secrets of Sinners and Saints" is a deftly compiled guide to the many, many eccentricities of this city and is highly recommended for anyone who would learn more of New Orleans.

A late-night companion with gusto, a book for deep thinkers. Keep it nearby, on the nightstand, in the bathroom, or on the cocktail table. Dip into it daily. This work reads like sort of a new literary form. It is easy to thumb through. Entertaining, lyrical, ironic, esoteric, filled with dark humor. New Orleans makes a great twisted-sister muse and alter ego for freeing the little voice inside. Read slowly, don't rush, and absorb the thoughts. Many of the unexpected comments are sardonic, teasing, and tongue-in-cheek. Hearsay from Heaven and Hades is recommended reading for those who like to stray, and straddle the line between being real good and real bad. It is not a work for pious people. Keep this book handy if you have come to detest a steady and wholesome diet of fake sweetness and insulin ODs of sugary self-affirmations. Cool gift!

Intense literal and allegorical observations. Entertaining viewpoints and metaphors. Traces of confessional poetry. No taboos. From beyond the post-Katrina watermark: "A collection of provocation sayings for unquiet minds."

Stumbled into *Honey, I Love* after a sister-in-law talked about the Harriet Tubman poem. Now I have fallen in love with the book also. Can't wait to read the poems to my son.

This book is a must for any child's bookcase, particularly if one wants to rear a child who is sensitive, racially tolerant and in tune with the beauty of language.

These poems are of pure emotion: love, joy, loss, bravery, silliness. The voice is childlike but amazingly profound as the poems cover a squeaky school piano, a Southern cousin whose every word "just kind off slides out of his mouth" and the complete abandon one feels when dancing deep in the music of Earth, Wind and Fire.

My favorite two poems are a bit more serious. In "Keepsake," Greenfield uses just nine simple lines to convey loss, and the impact adults can have on children. This is not a maudlin poem that is too heavy or upsetting. Although it deals with death, it's respectful and loving. And the poem "Harriet Tubman" is amazing, deftly describing the woman's heroics and bravery in a satisfying and strong verse.

Honey, I Love is a thought-provoking work that stands the test of time. It's a book that adults and children can, and should, enjoy together.

Honey, I Love is a fantastic book for young black girls and great for confidence building. The art work wonderfully represents the poems.

A must read for children of all ages. The Poetry is simply fantasic. The is a feel good book.

This books is a favorite of mine and memorable since childhood. The poems are sweet and the drawings are beautiful and made with love. A feel good book for adults and children that is simple and to the heart.

Rediscovered this down to earth poet with great enjoyment. Who else can offer poetry about such diverse subjects as "the women in my family eating bones" and "from the window of my mother's hospital room"?

The Human Line like her other inspiring work Mules of Love illustrates Ellen's unique insight into the human experience. From the scenes inside the hospital to the two lovers in the airport there is always a wonderful sense of joy and solace within each poem.
I spent many years of my life avoiding poetry until I realized that a great poet is also a wonderful and insightful storyteller and Ellen Bass' latest work has many brilliant tales to tell.

Over and over this small book of poetry reveals the most human truths of our lives: the aching tenderness of our feelings towards our children; the searing pain of watching, helping a mother die; the wry recognition of our flawed and beloved partners and friends; the determination to have hope in the face of a world filled with injury and destruction.
Read this. Savor every page. Buy it for everyone you treasure.

I loved this book of poems. I have been reading Ellen Bass' poetry for many years. This book is full of a rich and lived sense of experience. I recommend it highly.
Anina Kane

I am new to Ellen Bass' poetry as well as fairly new to the experience of reading and hearing all poetry, but I have the deep privilege of being her student. Ellen teaches what she knows about life and writing as naturally as I breathe oxygen. Vision, metaphor, telling stories in order to tell the truth, understanding the monster aspects of us all -- her wisdom enhances her students' lives as well as our writing.
My favorite of all her poems (so far) is 'Gate C22.' I can so clearly see not only the two people kissing, but all the other people in the airport watching them, mesmerized. 'The Woman Who Killed My Cat' receives from Ellen the compassion I'm not sure I could muster.
In order to read 'In Praise of Four-Letter Words' or 'Bone of My Bone and Flesh of My Flesh,' please buy her book.

Annie Scott