Monday, December 18, 2023

5-Star Review on Goodreads for "The Botleys of Beaumont County"

 The Botleys of Beaumont County is a dramatic, literary novel with one foot in the past and another in the future, seeped in the rich tradition of Southern fiction. Turfa weaves a rich tapestry of characters from a once-prominent family forced to face the future, themselves, and the possibility that change will open doors instead of closing them. A remarkable novel, highly recommended.

Goodreads review from Author Martin Ott

Many thanks!

Get your copy!

https://www.blurb.com/b/10799783-the-botleys-of-beaumont-county



Wednesday, November 22, 2023

60 Years Ago today: JFK Assassination

 

     My fifth-grade class had returned to the classroom from lunch and recess. It was a bright, crisp Friday afternoon in the Monongahela Valley. Our energy had been spent running around. As we settled in our seats, our teacher was crying.

     Mrs. Bedogne cried several times a day. Someone gave an incorrect answer, made an error at the board in Arithmetic, or something like that. My first thought was that someone had fallen on the playground and scraped a knee.

    But she announced that the President had been shot and was dead. Silence descended over the classroom. About a year earlier John F. Kennedy visited our valley and received a warm reception. The teacher asked who our President now was. My hand shot up with the correct answer.

    Three generations of my family met for Friday dinner. Everyone was a staunch Republican, but all were shocked. Not Grandmother Turfa. She complained that her program (soap opera) was not on TV that afternoon. She refused to believe what happened in Dallas. Grandma immigrated about 60 years before from Austria-Hungary (we were Hungarians) with two of her brothers. Her news came from an American-Hungarian newspaper.

     One day we will know what really happened on that terrible day in Dallas. The Warren Commission covered up a lot. JFK was hitting his stride in the Oval Office, and we will never know what he might have accomplished, or how the 1964 election could have turned out. 

    It is a day for reflection, sorrow, and to remember a time when the United States was not so divided.

    RIP, Mr. President


  


Monday, November 6, 2023

Three Poems in The Raven's Perch

https://theravensperch.com/the-nail-maker-by-arthur-turfa/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-nail-maker-by-arthur-turfa&fbclid=IwAR3oBKVBoy4HzXmmN8ZT28Fh_6Tfi5rP8mua7vw4vUiVwnE_C1pKNdoSHfA 


    I'm very honored and pleased to have three poems here, two of them relatively new. Click on the above link, then click on the next above link to access the first poem. For the other two, at the right-hand bottom side click for my two other poems, one after another.


   The first poem is about my paternal grandfather. Inspiration for the second one came from a wine course I watched on Wondrium. And the last came from our Viking Danube cruise this past summer.

    Last weekend I went to an exciting event- the South Carolina Writers' Association Annual Conference. I led a Poetry Roundtable with Ed Madden and Glenis Redmond, attended by some outstanding participants who added so much. There were other events, and I was blown away by how many people remember me from last year's event. At the Open Mic I read the first two pages of "The Botleys of Beaumont County," my novel.

   Thanks to all who were at the conference, Storyfest, and thank you for reading/listening.

https://www.blurb.com/b/10799783-the-botleys-of-beaumont-county#:~:text=About%20the%20Book&text=Years%20later%2C%20Attorney%20Slerd%20Bosley,a%20rapidly%2Dchanging%20southern%20town.

  

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Arthur-Turfa/author/B00YJ9LNOA?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwCpBPwkuMQ&t=774s



Thursday, November 2, 2023

South Carolina Writers Association Annual Conference November 3-5

 https://www.myscwa.org/event-5216727

   I will be on a Poetry Round Table with two excellent Poets Laureate, Glenis Redmond and Ed Madden on Saturday afternoon.

  This will be a wonderful opportunity to network, learn, and be inspired. Saturday night will have an Open Mic, and I need to figure out what I will share. Some of the novel first, or a poem?


https://www.amazon.com/stores/Arthur-Turfa/author/B00YJ9LNOA?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true


https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Botleys_of_Beaumont_County.html?id=uIqYzgEACAAJ

  The Blurb site is down, but try again. The novel is available only on Blurb!









Sunday, August 13, 2023

Inspiration for Some New Poems

     My wife and I returned last month from a splendid Viking Cruise on the Danube from Passau, Germany, to Budapest, Hungary. Although I took a small notebook to jot down some ideas for poems, I hardly used it. But so far I have two good drafts of future poems.


https://www.amazon.com/stores/Arthur-Turfa/author/B00YJ9LNOA?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Poetry books


https://www.blurb.com/b/10799783-the-botleys-of-beaumont-county

Novel



      

                                           Part of the old city wall in Bratislava, Slovakia

 

                                                       St. Martin's Cathedral


            

                                                A view of the Danube from the Castle parapets 

Saturday, July 8, 2023

Interview with Natalie Marino, Poet and Physician

 Interview with Natalie Marino, Poet and Physician

             -with Arthur Turfa, poet and writer


 

1.          What attracted you first to poetry?

      I have enjoyed reading poetry since I was introduced to Sylvia Plath's poetry in high school. As I entered my 40s, I found that in addition to working as a physician and being a mom to my two daughters, I needed to do something creative, and writing poetry seemed like a good fit for me. 

2.          You are in a long line of physician poets (including William Carlos Williams, Gottfried Benn, and Jenna Le). How does your profession impact your poetry?

      The profession of medicine necessarily involves paying close attention to what patients are saying, to their stories. Often sitting with these stories also involves carrying heavy emotional weight, and writing poetry helps me process this heaviness.

3.          You have a chapbook out now with Finishing Line Press. Tell us about it!

 

          My chapbook Under Memories of Stars is a collection of lyric poems that address love,       

     grief, and acceptance. Each poem involves stars and how they are simultaneously every  

    present and unreachable. You can order my chapbook   here: 

    https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/under-memories-of-stars-by-natalie-marino/

     What poets influence you?

     Sylvia Plath continues to influence my poetry. I also greatly admire the work of Jack Gilbert, Louise Glück, Linda Gregg, and Charles Simic. 

4.          What lies ahead for you poetically?

           I am currently trying to get my next chapbook published. It is a collection of twenty  

     poems  addressing America. The poems work together to show our collective need for a a

     new American Dream. 

Friday, July 7, 2023

Author Spotlight is on Me in Volume 3 of the Lit eZine!

https://manicsylph.com/lit-ezine-vol-3-front-page-contents/ 


     I cannot find the words to say how much I appreciate this. Manic Sylph has created a wonderful publication. the first two volumes have some of my poems and a short story as well. Many thanks to her!

     These days keeping any sort of publication afloat is very difficult. Since I started my poet/writer career, I have seen them come and go. That was going on even before the pandemic, which of course did not help at all.

    It is nice to have a "home." Read Volume 3, and when you can,go back if this is your first time reading this wonderful publication.

   Links to my works:


   https://www.amazon.com/stores/Arthur-Turfa/author/B00YJ9LNOA?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

 

https://www.blurb.com/b/10799783-the-botleys-of-beaumont-county
















Saturday, July 1, 2023

Sir Ray Davies' "Americana"- Definitely worth reading

 https://www.amazon.com/Americana-Kinks-Riff-Road-Story-ebook/dp/B0751HTQ8R/ref=sr_1_1?hvadid=241618892113&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9010378&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=11407560403369489041&hvtargid=kwd-302900994468&hydadcr=22565_10355050&keywords=ray+davies+americana+book&qid=1688230390&sr=8-1#customerReviews

     This might not be the best introduction to Sir Ray or the Kinks, but it does not have anything that assumes extensive prior knowledge of either him or the bands. Sir Ray has long been a favorite of mine; "Waterloo Sunset" really sold me on his abilities with language. His talents carry over to prose; each chapter opens with lyrics.

     As I read I was struck by his brutal honesty concerning his failed marriages/relationships and the long-term sibling rivalry with Dave. Ray does not point the finger at anyone except himself. He does not wallow in self-pity, but it is all there for the reader to experience.

      This is a very insightful read and I would hope to see a continuation of it eventually.


 

   


Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Pete the Poet- Peter Brown, RIP

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/pete-brown-cream-lyricist-dead-obit-1234739205/ 


     This is several weeks late, due somewhat to my lethargy, but also to my recuperation from successful hip replacement surgery.

     I so wish that Cream and Blind Faith had lasted longer than they did. Cream played blues, progressive rock, and some jazz. Blind Faith had so much promise. But the record labels and managers wanted to make more money, and the bands wore out

    Jack Bruce collaborated with Peter Brown, "Pete the Poet" for years. Pete went on to become a singer in various bands, and so was more in the public eye than other superb lyricists like BernieTaupin and Keith Reid.

    The Rolling Stone link has two of my favorites by him: "White Room" and "Theme From an Imaginary Western", which Mountain covered.

    Will any of today's lyricists be so heralded? Taylor Swift might, but of course, she is a star in her own right. What about the lyricists/poets who remain more or less in the background?

    A student asked me to contribute some lyrics for his band. Not a complete song, but it's a start!





Sunday, May 21, 2023

Belated Happy Birthday, Pete Townshend!

 https://www.amazon.com/Who-Am-Memoir-Pete-Townshend/dp/006212725X


      Most Rock and Roll autobiographies are little more than a litany of sex, drugs, and perhaps rehab,. And most are "As told to" someone who can write. Not this one,

     Townshend speaks honestly and with clarity. He talks about the creative process, and gives insight into the music he has written,.  This book is worth one's time.

     I also include a link to something from his solo work.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOFyO6IqYk0




Thursday, April 20, 2023

Keith Reid, Lyricist, RIP

      I have to confess some jealousy here of Keith Reid and also of Bernie Taupin. Their lyrics have made them millionaires. Not usual for poets, by any means. Taupin stays in the background; we did not see him last year when we saw Elton John. Reid traveled with Procul Harum and felt part of the group.

     What impresses me is that Reid wrote the lyrics first. He considered them to be poems, which someone else put to music. While some of Taupin's could stand on their own, all of Reid's could, and do so.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/31/arts/music/keith-reid-dead.html

     I am going to speak about only one, Broken Barricades, the title track to the fifth album, from 1971. It is a short, almost minimalist poem, but one that fits in so well with the music. Give it a listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76BO4FIkhu4



Links to my books:


 https://www.amazon.com/stores/Arthur-Turfa/author/B00YJ9LNOA?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true


https://www.blurb.com/b/10799783-the-botleys-of-beaumont-county#:~:text=About%20the%20Book&text=The%20business%20inherited%20by%20the,roles%20in%20this%20changed%20community.

Friday, April 14, 2023

Festschrift? Not Likely For Me, But That's All Right

      A Festschrift consists of chapters by different authors on subjects relating to the lifework of an academic on the occasion of hir or her retirement or reaching a significant milestone in age. A friend and colleague is going overseas soon to honor one of his mentors. My 70th birthday is next month. The three-score and ten (Psalm 90:10) , four-score if one is very fortunate, was not easy to attain prior to medical advances.

     What would be in a Festschrift for me? I have had several careers, often concurrent, and varied interests. I would not want to inflict trying to oversee such a volume for me on anyone. 

     A Festschrift for me would include chapters on:

  •      Church history, especially involving Lutherans and the Conciliar Age
  •      Army/military chaplaincy
  •      Education
  •      Poetry
  •     German Language and Culture
  •     Novels/ short stories
     Do you see what I mean?

     Links to my books:
     










"Priestdaddy" by Patricia Lockwood

         I know some authors who write memoirs. In my opinion, it's a tricky genre unless the author is gifted, because unless the reade...