Long Books

This book seems to be a wonderful portrayal of a Native American family and community and their culture and history. One point that I appreciate is that the author tried to stay true to the Choctaw cultural activities, arts and lifestyle in the beautiful drawings and text. The author did not meld several different tribal cultures together as a homogenous "Native American culture." The message of the book also helps young readers to respect the sacrifices and values of the tribe, as well as to question the way Euro-Americans treated them in the past. A treasured book.

(I got this book in Dublin, Ireland, recently.)

This is a truly delightful book. The drawings are lovingly created and the story is both touching and well written. What makes it even more compelling is that it is based on a wonderful true act of human generosity over 150 years ago, from one impoverished people to another, who, although worlds apart in both distance and cultures, had a common enemy, in hunger and oppression.

The author travelled to Oklahoma to research the book and has gone to great lengths to ensure the drawings are authentic as well as inspiring. I particularly like the drawings of the great-grandmother and indeed,the clever shadow of the American eagle when Choona raises his arms in the final drawing as well as the subtle, celtic symbols to be found in this same drawing. "The Long March" is a must for the millions of us with Irish-American heritage - every Irish American child should read this book!

In 1847 an impoverished displaced group of Choctaw Indians collected from their meager resources the sum of $170 to send toward food relief for the Irish Potato Famine.

Through the memories of Choona, now known as Tom, who is very, very old, we learn of how he, as a young man, at last learned of that part of his family's history about which no one would speak & yet everyone looked so wounded. The Long March, when his people were forced to walk from Florida to Mississippi all through one fearsome, killing winter.

The Long March is rich in American history & memory. The marvelous drawings create a magically real place. This is a must for anyone who loves looking at other ways to live in community; other ways of teaching the spirit to grow & learning about courage, wisdom & respecting the memories.

An amazing book - to be read & read again & again & the pictures to be studied & dreamed over. Beautifully evocative.

This is one of the best historical documentations I have ever read. I highly recommend it to readers 21 and over.

Journalist Harrison Salisbury brings his superb style to the Long March of 1934-1935. Salisbury traveled to China in 1984 to retrace the steps of Mao's communists as they fled their bases in Hunan and Jiangxi Provinces, walking some 8,000 miles to their base up North. Readers see the harsh conditions as the troops plodded daily through the the wilderness regions of western China. They climbed mountains, crossed rivers and foraged for food, fighting off constant land and air attacks by pursuing Nationalists. Their numbers dwindled from casualties, hunger and disease, and many never reached the safety of Shaanxi Province. Readers may dislike communism but can still respect the marchers' accomplishment. One also gets a sense of how enduring poverty, plus the corruption and cruelties of the Nationalists paved the later takeover of China by the communists.

Harrison Salisbury (1908-1993) was a superb international journalist, and he writes with a keen "just the facts" objectivity. One might also enjoy several other books from this very readable author, including 900 DAYS: THE SEIGE OF LENIGRAD, MOSCOW JOURNAL, TIANAMEN DIARY, HEROES OF MY TIME, etc.

This book chronicles events that led to, during, and shortly after the Long March, which was a heroic journey that the Chinese Communist-led Red Army took in the mid-30's. The journey started as the Red Army was driven out of their base by Chiang Kai Shek's Nationalist Army and faced total defeat. The Red Army fled the Nationalist Army by walking in the remote areas of China for two years and some 7000 miles while defending themselves against the Nationalist troops that were chasing them. But at the end of the journey, the Red Army not only survived but was also strengthened and earned more popular support. The Long March is considered a key turning point in the modern Chinese history.

In this book, Salisbury combined his amazing story-telling skills with careful research and the unbiased attitude that a good reporter should possess. He interviewed generals, soldiers and ordinary citizens, collected stories related to historical events that were unknown to both Western readers AND Chinese readers. With all these materials, he tried to tell you what happened in China at that time, and why, and he succeeded. The details that Salisbury put in the book also allowed one to find out the personalities of the key players of modern Chinese history: Mao and his generals, Chiang and his generals.

Salisbury's story-telling skill is perhaps nothing new to many readers. I had great enjoyment when reading this book, I felt that I shared the emotions of the people in the book. The description of the battles was so vivid I almost felt that I was there watching.

So, if you want to know what life was like in the 1930s' China, if you want to know why Communism, an utterly unattractive idea in many people's eyes, won the support of Chinese people in the 30s', if you want to know what kind of people the Chinese Communist leaders were, or if you just want to read a good book on military history, read this one and you will not be disappointed.

We all prefer to believe that in the end there is justice. Chris Powers' book - humorously written in the undeserved debris of his career - testifies to the universality of the belief, even when we still await the happy ending. With impeccable documentation of sources and chronology, Chris takes the reader with him as he is discarded - dare I say like an outmoded edition of a library book - from the Boulder Public Library for effectively following through with his already-approved idea to situate Old Glory for all to see upon entering the Library after the events of September 11, 2001.

When the rug is pulled out from under him as the library director becomes afflicted with political correctness gone wild (i.e. we may offend some terrorist by having an American flag in plain - plane? - sight), Chris' life is turned upside down. This book is not merely therapy for Chris, it is our therapy as well.

The happy ending for Chris will occur with the sale of the movie rights. Amazon patrons can have their own happy ending sooner by buying this book!

Boulder, Colorado, a quaint hippe enclave and college town nestled up against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains has long been considered a bastion of liberal thought. Those who have never lived here probably couldn't perceive of how bizarre it is, and "Long May They Wave," is one of the best written examples of just how nuts Boulder can get.

The city government threw its support behind a radical and tyrannical library director who effectively banned the United States flag from the taxpayer-supported public library, while at the same time approving the public display of sexual toys.

The story gained national attention for its absurdity and made a local legend of one "El Dildo Bandido" [SIC] Robert Rowan who took matters into his own hands, so to speak. Sadly, the episode cost the author his job at the library for all of the wrong reasons.

"Long May They Wave" documents misguided politcal correctness taken to extremes. Involving man-hating feminists, reverse discrimination, secret campaigns of petty vengence...this book peels back the flimsy facade of Boulder's "objective" view of the outside world, exposing it for the bizarro city it really is.

A fun read, a shocking story, and an empty feeling that things just aren't quite right somehow in The People's Republic of Boulder.

Seldom does a "victim" who writes to defend himself present his side of the story in such a convincing yet objective fashion - with a dash of humor - as does Christopher J. Power. Mr. Power does not overtly describe himself as a victim; however, by the end of his story, the reader will know that he is a victim of hypocritical and unjust actions by PC officials. Often, politial correctness is overshadowed by pure bias and politics itself.

Long May They Wave! The title indicates that some things have been waving...or have they? The "things" surely refer to the US flag, though to the casual reader the reference may be to the "dangling dildos."

Mr. Power worked as an admininstrator with the public library system in Boulder, CO. He was a respected, effective employee who got along well with his co-workers and administrators - that is, until the horrific events of 9-11. Shortly after 9-11, Mr. Power requested that he be allowed to display the US flag above the entryway of the Boulder Public Library. Permission was granted, and then mysteriously denied before the flag could be properly placed. Suddenly, dangling dildos were hanging within the library. Dangling dildos? No flag? The news was leaked to the press. The ensuing fiasco was the result of a political charade perpetrated by library and city administrators who told less than the truth to cover their mistakes. P.C library officials blamed Mr. Power for the leak even though he was not responsible, and they had no proof to the contrary. Subsequently, he was relieved of his job. Fired.

Mr. Power explains the events in sequence. Humor is injected. The hilarious escapades of the "dildo bandito" lighten the story. He relates simple facts. He makes no harsh or undue criticism of his co-workers, though the truth may be taken as criticism. After years of taking blame, Mr. Power finally discovered who actually leaked to the press. He is now able to clear himself of the perceived dirty deed. Is justice not to be served?

News about the dangling dildos was printed in papers across the country. When I first read about them, I called my daughter in Boulder. She scouted the library in search of the outrageous piece of "art." At that time, I knew nothing of the controversy involving the flag display. No comprehensive explanations regarding the incident had been presented. I was pleased to read Mr. Power's story, to understand his side, and to learn the truth. Long May They Wave!

I, too, am anorexic/bulimic and have gone through the laxative stage, the pills, and the purging. This has lasted 27 years for me, and , fortunately, I am still alive. I am not yet in recovery, but the Good Lord must be watching over me. I have been hospitalized twice to no avail. I am also an alcoholic. Dual disorders are very difficult to deal with. I also suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder and OCD. I can so relate to Jon's situation. I relapse everytime I make progress, like Jon. For some reason, some sick people just CAN'T get well..

The book was very moving and straight from the heart. Jon's Dad, Gerald, is a riveting author, telling his story in such a way to make it so personal. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Eating Disorders. Unfortunately, those of us who are victims of "the beast", and who never mean to cause others' grief, are so engrossed in this disease that we are helpless in conquering it. ERG

This book takes you into the heart and soul of Jon's father as he writes what he knows about his son's life - a way to deal with the enormous pain of losing such a gifted child. Mr. Williams takes the reader straight to the breaking heart of watching helplessly as his brilliant son struggled to cope with life and the many treatments that somehow failed him. Anorexia-bulimia is a ravaging disease that lies to the mind of those afflicted, spiraling them deeper and deeper into hell. Mr. Williams describes his heartbreak and feelings of helplessness as he watched his talented, and intelligent son fade into oblivion.

I thought this was a wonderful story of a special young man, told by his very special father. In an attempt to share his son's life with us, we learn a lot about the entire family, and how they coped with anorexia and bulemia.

I think this book is quite good. I'm not much of a reviewer--but am an avid reader--and I can tell you that this work of fiction meets all my standards for a great book: good plot, interesting and deep characters, lyrical writing, a touch of mysticism, and a highly focused theme that doesn't get preachy. Yes, there is a mesage here, but it is NOT the one you most expect, and the writer accomplishes it in a rather clever and subtle way.... I agree with all the other aspects, such as what Honey and Benjamin also reported on. Two thumbs up!

It's been half an hour since I finished the last pages of this book, and I haven't stopped weeping. Maybe because the characters and the tragic plot twists reminded me of so many precious people in my past. Maybe, too, because I have also made mistakes and wanted to be redeemed. This is an outstanding book, that really is more a poetic fable than a novel. The descriptions are magical, and the atmosphere created is just drenched with humanity. It shows us the depth of human suffering and human kindness, without being sentimental (the writer almost apologizes in the Preface for writing a sentimental book, but i don't think it is sentimental at all..)

I can see reading this book over and over, every Christmas season, for years and years to come; it has so many layers of meaning that it would be impossible to capture them all the first time through. I especially enjoyed the textures of immagrant life and the 19th century flavor. The book is realistic and supernatural at the same time. It's about far more than Christmas, but it definitely will put you in a merry and contemplative mood--it'll also motivate you to round up all your friends and family and embrace them as if they'd been lost at sea, but rescued....

I can't recomend this book enough. It was awesome!

Some while ago I was fortunate enough to have gotten hold of a "First Edition" of Comenole's Christmas flavored treat, "The Long Night of Clement C. Craggogre," and have been waiting to find the book in its published form ever since. Thank you Amazon.Com !! This book is a heartwarming and uniquely told story of the spirit of Christmas, and a man's awakening to all that is good in life, to all that has somehow passed him by:
all, that is, until one special Christmas Eve.

I find it too much a cliché to compare this book's story line to all the other Christmas classics, such as "A Christmas Carol" and others, because it is not a rendition of these classics. Comenole's book both contributes to those traditions and departs from them, with innovative characters and plot twists. It is my guess that those who purchase this book will find the sights, sounds and even the smells of Christmases gone by right there in the pages of this book. We all come from small towns and big cities, filled with people from many different cultures; the characters in this book mirror that diversity, and readers will certainly find themselves reflected in this interesting assortment of characters.

We all live in a world of human emotions and in this book you will experience your very own. For myself... well, I found the characters so diverse and well described that they were all brought to life in my mind's eye. One poor unfortunate in this story was so vividly brought to life it put me in mind of an old and very dear friend from my childhood. I smiled when I thought of the fun things we shared years ago, and as I read on my eyes filled when I remembered his demise. Reading this book was much like listening to old time radio Saturday nights when the family gathered around the old GE radio, when your imagination was enriched by what came to you via the airwaves. This gift happens to come via the written word as a gift from the author. I highly recommend this book to all those who long to revisit the warmth and true meaning of Christmas joy.

If you like Science Fiction and you love Fantasy you'll get in in this gripping Tale that is a fight for survial and trust.

Straight from the start William pulls you sharply into a world of fantasy fiction - winding you around the lives of the characters and keeping you hanging with eloquent language and oratory skills. WARNING - wear gloves or you will get papercuts from turning the pages so quickly.

This is an awesome book with non-stop action and strong female characters. If you like fantasy-epic novels, this one is for you.

Wonderful memoir! Very well written and poetically conveyed journey. Clear and aesthetically pleasing in its own distillation of the lifestyle and ritual, but also containing many subtle themes which seem to cut across many religious cultures and spiritual journeys. Krivak has written an unassuming and honest story. There is no arrogance of certainty which other authors sometimes seem to portray. Krivak's story is believable and passionate. Thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end and would recommend to anyone inclined to spiritual connection and understanding, whether religious or not.

I must admit I like books about people who embark on vocations, religious and otherwise. So no surprise that I wanted to read this book. I've met a few Jesuits, including one enrolled in my doctoral program many years ago
(he dropped out the first year) and one who (I suspect) was asked to leave.

This book is less about a spiritual journey than a detailed, blow-by-blow account of life in the contemporary post-Berrigan Jesuit order. Frankly, the life seems mostly pleasant, or else the author had such a strong vocation he rolled with the punches. And it's likely the arduous selection process worked.

I must admit I skimmed some of the spiritual angst and introspection sections, but there really weren't very many. Krivak tells a story of very smart, sane superiors, some really satisfying friendships, and meaningful work experiences. Except for some bad food here and there (and escape to the local steak house often was possible), and an uncomfortable bed or two, I didn't get a sense of hardship. Sure, he didn't get his first choice of teaching jobs, but to be able to teach English and writing at all would be a rare privilege for many professors and doctoral candidates out there.

Since the jacket blurb refers to Krivak's new life as husband and father, it's probably not giving away the store to say that he ultimately fell in love and left the order. As his wife noted, he seemed to be more interested in writing and less in being a Jesuit.

I see parallels between his life and the life of Karen Armstrong. I believe both made wise decisions to enter religious orders (call it a true vocation if you like). Both went on to use their experiences to build new lives and careers. Armstrong of course calls herself a "freelance monotheist" while Krivak, at least by the end of the book, remains firmly Catholic.

With my own interest in career patterns and shifts, I enjoyed watching Krivak as he went on the journey.

Andrew Krivak's eight-year journey into, through, and out of the life of a Jesuit seminarian is captured in a memoir of poignancy, generosity, and spectacularly wonderful writing. He details with great honesty and sustaining intelligence the external challenges of his formation in the Society of Jesus (graduate philosophical studies, hospital work with AIDS patients, Russian language study in Moscow, and college teaching among other experiences). But, even more importantly, Krivak testifies with conviction about the movements of his own heart and soul as he struggled with the nature of his calling, the meaning of love, and his efforts in prayer and meditation to discern the full dimensions and import of his doubts and fears. One of the most remarkable spiritual autobiographies since Merton's SEVEN STOREY MOUNTAIN. An utterly captivating volume. I expect to read it again simply to savor the extraordinary beauty of the writing once more. (Disclosure: As a Jesuit myself, I knew Krivak during two years covered in this book. But, I've had no contact with him in over a decade and didn't quite know what to expect before picking up A LONG RETREAT. I'm so happy I did.)

Stewart Edward White was many things- lumberjack, cowboy, novelist, biographer, even a writer of a psychic phenomenon series,and though this is the first book of his that I have had the immense pleasure of reading, I must say that after reading the Long Rifle, I believe that this, out of his almost sixty books, was the one he enjoyed writing the most. I think most writers have a favorite that they have written, because it is the one that they have put the most of themselves into, yearning to almost be the imagined character themselves, or to live in the world that lives in their mind. I would not be surprised if the life of a mountain or frointiersman is the kind of life that White would have loved to have led.

There are a number of reasons that I can find for saying this. First, with his vivid, sweeping, almost panoramic descriptions, you are thrown into the true *wild* west, long before it became the wild west of the cowboy days and the countless novels of the *western* genre. The only peoples that you would be fortunate enough to see (or unfortunate as the case often was) was lots of Indians, the rare Spanish settelment, or the even rarer fellow Mountain Man. The mountains and the valleys are written as if White were sitting there with them right in his view. Perfect. Breathtaking. Untouched. Majestic. So full of wildlife that, in the words of Joe Crane, *You needn't hardly aim yer rifle, and you've downed yer dinner*. This is the land that is so beautifully described.

Second, in this age where it is culturally acceptable (at least in most of the western countries) to be a New Age guru or a Catholic monk, Agnostic or Christian, Hindu or practioner of the far-east disciplines, we are at least used to the idea of normal, everyday people being any of these things. But in the 1930's? Spiritualism outside of Christianity was not as accepted by mainstream American culture as it is now. Despite this, White still puts traces of his beliefs (his wife, Betty, channeled mystical teachings, giving him the material for his three psychic phenomena books,) into the character of Andy Burnett. These are written about in a way that can be interpreted as just instinctual reactions, but a careful reading declares them to be more of a spiritual understanding of what is going on around him.

The third can be found in the central figure of this book, the previously mentioned Andy Burnett, the fictional inherator of Daniel Boone's long rifle, giving the book its name. Andy has not been steeped with what our more modern minds think of as *hero* characteristics. He is not superhuman, he doesn't war with himself about what the right thing to do in a situation is. He is not given to heavy drinking, chasing women, (the one time he did try completely scared him out of his wits,) engaging in brawls, or causing commotion; all things that a rather large chunk of the modern heros in movies are found to do. Interestingly enough they are also all things that Andy's fellow mountain men would be ashamed not to take part in, earning him a lofty if somewhat frowned upon image from his companions. No, Andy has more of the character of something that White was very familiar with. A cowboy. Self assured and of strong character, he knows that morals aren't something that you should have to try to live by, but that they should come naturally, with a desire to respect your fellow man. Andy carries this with him everywhere, even in his dealings with Indians. Through his strong love of other people he eventually becomes a member of the Blackfoot tribe, a tribe that no one, Indian or white man has ever been on good terms with. Andy can handle himself in any situation by just being calm and of uncompromising character. These qualities would benefit anyone, and I'm sure that White belived this. In fact I'm also sure that he modelled Andy on what he himself would like to have been. White wrote about him so passionately that I found myself quite often wanting to be in Andy' life.

Now let us move on to the book itself. We begin by reading of a young Daniel Boone (on a side note, while this is a fictional account of Boone, White does have some historical facts on his side, as he should, being the author of the highly acclaimed biography of Boone,) entering a shooting contest with a new kind of rifle that is at first laughed at, as are most new ideas when you're set in your ways, at least until the accuracy of the idea is proven, in this case Boone showing that you can shoot straighter, faster, and cheaper, break all previous records, take first place, then dissapear and become one of the most famous men ever to explore the wild frontier. Narrativelly this is no small feat for the first fifty pages of a book, and you are left wondering how this is going to be topped, carrying a fast paced adventure through three hundred more pages. Then like a plunge into shockingly cold water we are thrown into the boring life of a young teenager about to have destiny come crashing down on him.This is the young Andy Burnett whose grandfather was given that same rifle by Boone as a wedding gift for saving his life. The rifle eventually is passed to the niave Andy who runs away, leaving behind an uncaring step father, and his grandmother, whose last wish was for Andy to escape the farmers life and become the man that he was meant to be, which in her mind is a frontiersman.

Andy is taken under the wings of two genuine mountain men who teach him the ways of the wild. He is quickly thrown into adventure after adventure, as White writes Andy into the real life histories of mountain men. Meeting and traveling with many famous men of the era, he helps discover the first pass over the Contenintal Divide, making a path where the Oregon Trail will eventually ride, helps the Rocky Mountain Fur Company in its begining years by being a good friend of the owners, and also becomes one of the first white men to see the Pacific Ocean from an inland route. Along the way are famine , thirst, hostile Indians, ruthless trappers, and death. But all of this serves to make Andy stronger, culminating in an ending that shows the true misfortune of white mans encroachment upon the wild.

My only problem with the book was that near the end the writing switches back and forth from Andy's life to a more epic, wide-angle lens stlye of writing that shows the sweeping changes being instituted in the land, with years passing by as landscapes and lifestyles change, and then back to an older and wiser Andy, and then back again. But by the end you can see the reasoning as it was needed in order to build up the climax, an immenent tragedy that shows how callous the world is to personal suffering and what motivates people for right or wrong.

In the end we are left with the notion that not only have we lost a national treasure in the eventual taming and destruction of our wilderness, but that an entire lifestyle has been eradicated in the name of progress, and all we have to show is legends of men who could never be equalled.

Yes Mr. White, I too would have loved to have been alive at that time, and I also am aware of what has been lost everytime I take a trek into the majestic Rocky Mountains, following the paths of people just living a simple life surrounded by beauty. Your book is a bittersweet taste of how a man can live his dreams, through good and bad.

A great tale of the early west. A brave young man goes west with the early fur trappers. The long Rifle saves his bacon many times. He meets and traps with many of the famous old trappers and they share many wonderful adventures. Fiction at its best for youngsters. I read it first in 1953 and I still love it.

This is an excellent book for a young person because it teaches some great lessons about history, personal responsibility and cause-and-effect. The characters are incredibly life-like and the writing is spell-binding. This book is a "pager-turner". However, don't be shy of picking up this book if you are an adult, either. It's a great read. A belated "Thank You" for this book, Mr. White!

Opened and closed spaces, relentless noise and vacant silence, insidious peace and explosive violence: Haven's poetry embodies the public and private. In many ways, Haven's book functions as a biographical memoir. Often narrative in tone, the poems elucidate the difficulties paired with the small pleasures of living in a small impoverished town. The public/private dichotomy is manifested throughout the book as a commentary on the collective remembrance of history. Haven explores questions of the authority of history telling---in the face of a small town that is inherently private from the world, but a publicly flirtatious space (gossip travels fast in a small town), where does history come from? In "American Suicide: Mrs. William Bradford," the speaker is retelling the tale of a woman whose history was never acknowledged, not even by her husband. Yet, a definitive history is created through the poem. I believe Haven's poems posit a sort of exchange and flow of many biographies, many histories, many experiences that aggregate into a coherence, a history.

In a place where intimacy is commonplace, how does one exist in a private sphere? In "The Chuctanunda," the librarian becomes the source of a child's imaginative play: "Then the librarian, beneath her hive / of cotton candy hair, / bows tied around her neck, wrapped / like a Christmas present, / opened her arched public doors.// ... Still when I spoke to the librarian/ I thought of nothing more / than her husband's four amputated toes (5)." Not only do the "public doors" refer to the doors of the library, they also connote the librarian's life, and the life of every member of a small town. In some ways, poetry serves as a series of "public doors," whereby the author and the reader both exchange and withhold intimacy. The act of singularly writing a book, and singularly reading the book are inherently private, yet the book has been produced for the public, and the book is often discussed with a public. Furthermore, how can the private intentions of the author be known to his or her public audience?

Not only does Haven's book explore the openness and closedness in regards to a community, it also undertakes familial dichotomies of private versus public. In "Reverend," the father and the language used to reference him are owned and openly expressed by several spheres: the public eye watching the "Reverend," the private space of the home where the Mother irreverently uses the public's term and of course the narrator, and presumed son, experiencing and using his own private vocabulary. "that Reverend / was a written, not a spoken title./ No one listened to you. / That word, that private battle / publicly lost endeared you/ to my mother. / Rev she called you, / the first time in anger, / maybe disrespect, youthful/ indiscretion or jest (7)." Languages, words, histories, vocabularies can move from the public to the private, and the motivations and origins of the movement vary. Be it familial violence or societal slang, the private and the public are rarely as disconnected as they appear. Both are dependent upon each other for their continuation: the public requires a private audience, and the private requires a public to cloister itself from.

Silence manifests itself throughout the book as a complement to the notion of the private space. In "Snow, North Country," the speaker is set apart from the town he inhabits through his interpretations and reactions to the world around him: "I pulled back into the vast quiet of myself / while someone helped him toward the door (13)." The public marriage is at once loud, then, when the union is broken, becomes singularly quiet with "immeasurable emptiness" in "Ecclesiastes:" "And now she's yelling/ after him...And when he's gone, she thinks he's left behind// all the thoughts of their first morning...each immeasurable emptiness--the sky, / the sand, the sea-- lay down in them (23)." The final poem, "The Choirmaster," explores brilliantly the aggregation of public/private and noise/silence: "He was always/ embarrassed to find he had an audience, / as if he'd been caught/ doing himself in the immaculate dark (67)." The choirmaster is a public performance artist, yet his position in the church is hermetic. Both public and private, alone and not alone, his organ helps sound the hymns that create "the varied minutiae/ of a simple phrase / becomes a kind of joy to those / who write or play, a faith, even." Perhaps the private and public spaces and their revolving, evolving, and dependent histories, or even broader, language, is that "varied minutiae" that "becomes a kind of joy." Haven certainly contributes to that canon of joy, and his poetry is a testament to that.

Stephen Haven understands the sawdust-in-the-pores desolation of old mill towns with their poisoned rivers: places where "the sky is an indigenous gray," and salvation must be imagined from the gift of what-is. Most remarkably, he infuses this "lost architecture" with a terrifying elegance. Haven's vision gives sustenance because we recognize its accuracy and take comfort in a grace as unsparing as it is profound. There is nothing facile here, no easy epiphanies, just the steadfast gaze of a poet who deeply understands the American psyche in its past and present guises, a history peopled by deviant Puritans, vandals, and outcasts, the power of a place we can leave that will never leave us. Ablaze with intelligence and a fierce musicality, his poems are indelible. --Alice Fulton

Haven grew up in Amsterdam, New York, about ten miles away from Richard Russo's hometown of Gloversville, NY. Haven's poems share a lot in common with Russo's upstate New York novels, except that, as a minister's son, Haven's poems explore some aspects of a milltown that don't quite appear in the terrain of Russo's fiction. Here are passages from Joshua May's review of Haven's book. The review appeared in the Spring 2006 issue of Working-Class Notes, published by Youngstown State University:

With his poetry, Stephen Haven proves that working-class literature may exist independently from the work place. It is quickly apparent that Haven did not set out to write about work or workers, though many of his poems are set in a working-class environment. Haven concentrates on the personal moments, the private thoughts, and situations working-class people find themselves in outside of the factory or workplace. The result is a rich portrait of the American soul. The collection itself spans decades, personae, and circumstances, but most of the poems take place within, or around, a small industrial community....

Each poem is a first-person narrative with strong language and sincerity. In free verse or quatrains Haven arranges his poems in short broken lines that read fluidly and rapidly. Haven's words are always natural and relaxed, and his descriptions infuse each piece with an ordinary beauty that seems deeply symbolic... These poems require little digging for meaning, as each piece tells a specific story and imbues each character with forthright honest words.

Section one, "The Mohawk," begins with the experience of a boyhood spent in the "slow-burning, bored anger of the Mohawk Valley," a life among abandoned buildings, steelworks that have been converted to toy factories... In the second section, "The Shore," Haven veers away from the small town with a collection of poems of metaphorical self-exploration that have little in common with the first section. The third portion of the collection, "The Further Shore: Puritan Graveyard," deals primarily with the deviant attitudes and moral dilemmas of our Puritan fore-fathers. The final section, "Homework," trades the exterior working-class grit of the first for a much more introspective wrestling of humanity and mortality. While the poems retain the familiar retelling of lived experiences, they come through older, gentler eyes looking back... Haven is primarily concerned with humanity as a subject to his poems, and it becomes hard to detect any sense of class consciousness or class history in the characters of the final three portions of the book. However, despite their lack of a strong working-class connection, these poems are as strong as any in the collection.

Based on poetic merits alone, I would eagerly recommend this collection. It is elegant, thoughtful, and above all, beautifully involved in the lives and substance of the characters... Haven's poetry is powerful, and The Long Silence of the Mohawk Carpet Smokestacks is definitely worth picking up. --Joshua May

This book walks you through a man's life of triumph and tragedy. It is not your average everyday rhyming poetry. It will make you literally laugh and cry.

This book is definitely worth the time to read it. It takes you through the author's journey of life through the eyes of a person who has loved and lost and found love again. I look back through my life and realize I had a wonderful life. The author explains, through his eyes, the trials and tribulations of a kid just trying to grow up. Kudos to the author and the publisher who took the chance!!

I happen to be a personal friend of the author and have read some of his work (I have yet to get my hands on the book), and I was SO EXCITED to learn that he was finally being published. He's truly a brilliant man with a fantastic heart and so much to teach anyone who reads his work... pick this book up as soon as possible and be touched by his life! I know I have been!

bmwyatt