I get by with a little help from my friends!

I have read through this book several times now - it's very easy to do so - and I find Leslie's work to be as fresh and humorous as the first time I read it. There is a timelessness to her writing; I can imagine this very contemporary work being published 50-60 years ago, long before the discipline of poetry was hijacked by the experimental nonsense that seems to be the norm since the 60s. But I can slso grab its relevance for today, for the moment, for Leslie is an entertainer at heart. She uses literary twists and turns, visual puns and tongue-in-cheek humor to carry one to the end of her poems. I think Leslie should be required reading for all who would relegate themselves to a lifetime of angst and gloom. Life is too short. The crowsfeet come all too soon. Develop some laughlines for your life!

Rols is one of the most interesting people I've met through the internet. He is a gadabout, jovial, creative fellow always looking for friendship and a way to help people get their books published.  To that end, Rols has started Mad Jock Publishers which is accessible through the link.  He is a musician as well, with a fine ear for interpreting words into melody... oh, and did I say that he can write too?  I have read Rols' work: I own his book, pictured above.  Rols can make me laugh; he can make me irritated, he can make me think.  But he can never make me cry for his world is full of good humor, so bright is his outlook it takes over his writing.   Rols is a good writer and an even better person to know.  His book is available through his site and Amazon as well.   Make sure you check him out, I highly recommend it.  Also, make sure to check out the video he created for me at the bottom of this page!
 

I can't say that Jeff's poetry is an experience - it's really more of a ride! He wields description and metaphor as if it was an axe, and he is capable of leaving the reader with a sense that something incredible took place on the journey. Jeff is one of the few writers I've run across that makes me wish I had written it. I consistently find such nuggets in too many of his poems to list here, but I can guarantee his readers will find them as well. Jeff is an honest writer, and that honesty exudes from his work. He is unpretentious and clear, but look for the nuggets. It's like finding treasure!  His website can be found >>>>  HERE!

I have been reading Maggie's work for the better part of a year now, and I am thrilled to own a copy of her first book. I have found her poetry to be substantive and satisfying. She covers many topics with a unique eye for description that invariably transports the reader into her world; a world that can be funny, sad, full of wonderment, or bitingly harsh. Her writing is never forced nor formulaic. It is fresh and revealing. What makes Smoke & Mirrors even more special is that she designed it from cover to cover. Now every time I pick up her book to read, I feel as if I am holding a bit of Maggie in my hands.