As A Fiction/Poetry Reader/Reviewer, Here Is What I Look For

 

    I am honored to be a Fiction Reader for the Northern Appalachia Review, where I was born, a Poetry Editor for the Eleventh Hour Literary Review from Binghamton University, one of the places I went to grad school, an Editorial Assistant for The Petigru Review of the South Carolina Writers Association, and a book reviewer for and through The Tupelo Press and published in the Midwest Book Review. 

    Right now, I am in the middle of reading submissions for two of these publications, and other books appear announced or unannounced.  The GIF below is my reaction to things I do not expect.

https://tenor.com/view/god-father-generosity-deserve-gif-14015070

    Fiction:  For the NAR, we have a specific geographic location. Submitters need not have been born or lived there, or live there currently. When I see something that is not set in the region or has no discernible identification with the region, I stop reading. Below is the map from the website. I think "If you'uns can't read a map, I can't help you 'uns!"

    Outside of that, I want to see more than endless dialogue or a narrator rambling on and on. I want to know what people look like, what the locations look like, and some details about what they eat, drink, smoke, wear, etc. In other words, I want a picture.

 Poetry: I shudder when I see two or three-word lines, 20 or so lines all jammed together, or prose poetry. Yes, I know about the latter. Poet friends and I have discussed this. To me, such things resemble someone going on and on about something. "Prose Poetry" is an oxymoron in my book. Prose is often poetic; think of Updike, Faulkner, and others. 

     If prose is put into some poetic format, that turns me off. I want to see poetic features- not necessarily rhyme- but metaphor, simile, inversion of words, and the like. If there is rhyme, I do not want to see words hammered into place. 

    An example: I recently saw "your desires" paired with "truth's transpires". I shuddered! Not only hammering in rhymes, but a complete misunderstanding of vocabulary. 

    Am I the Final Authbority on writing? By no means am I open about what I like and what I do not like. If there are three of us reviewing what is submitted, I realize that I can be outvoted. And sometimes I like what I read regardless of the form. 

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My books: 

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Arthur-Turfa/author/B00YJ9LNOA?ref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=67a4ca9d-d97c-436c-9409-827b215a8174

My novel:

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

"Foxholes" -Review of Leonard Kress' New Poetry Book

 Foxholes- Leonard Kress

Poets have written about family members for too many years to count. They have also written about places to the extent that we think some places are more poetic than others.

In this poetry book, Leonard Kress finds poetry not only in family but also in suburban Philadelphia, the Fishtown, Harrowgate, and Center City sections of Philadelphia, Lithuania, and along the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Non-family members appear: neighbors, a future serial killer (unnamed but known to those who lived near him), students he taught in Ohio, classmates, former girlfriends, and musical icons from the 1960s.

Using various styles, Kress presents a winsome picture of people and settings from his life. A reflective tone permeates these verses, and the reader enjoys time spent with this delightful book of poetry.

Arthur Turfa, Saluda Reflections, Finishing Line Press, Epiphanies, Alien Buddha Press.

I will add a little more here. Leonard graduated between my brother Alex and me from Plymouth-Whitemarch HS in Plymouth Meeting, PA. His family lived about 1.5 miles from mine. His sister, Ellie, worked on the school newspaper as I did and graduated a year ahead of me.

Leonard and I lived or went to many of the same places and wrote about them. I will post links to his books and also mine.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GnTGRkFWMAE1zUp?format=jpg&name=360x360

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My book lins:

https://t.co/KyPITr8YSl

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

Germany Decides to Re-Arm

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdjyjlkewr2o

     Around thirty years ago, my National Guard battalion hosted about a dozen Bundeswehr soldiers during our Annual Training. The Pennsylvania Army National Guard (28th Division) had an exchange arrangement with the German Army. 

     Fifty or so years before that, the 28th Division fought the Wehrmacht in World War II. There was considerable grumbling from my battalion. One complaint was that these exchanges were not good because "we'll be fighting them again." I explained that the recently-reunited Germany was not a danger, but still an ally. Some believed me, some did not,

     Eight decades after V-E Day, the world is different, primarily due to Donald Trump and MAGA Isolationists. He brazenly speaks about obtaining territory of NATO members by any option, has a close relationship with Russia, has abandoned Ukraine (blaming them for the war), and a shocked NATO faces a new reality. 

     I've heard it all. How European NATO members do not pay their way, etc. How we have our own needs in this country, and soon. And now I see how we willingly alienate allies and turn them away from us if not against us in some way.

     Germany needs t increase its military. That will not be popular there, and budget cuts will have to be made. Berlin has no choice but to take these steps, and will have to maintain doing so for the foreseeable future, even post-Putin.

My books:

https://www.amazon.com/Books-Arthur-Turfa/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AArthur%2BTurfa

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

One Week Until Read Freely Fest- Richland County Main Library, Columbia SC March 28-30

 

    The buzz about this event is getting stronger each day. It's on the Internet and was mentioned at the Readers and Writers Luncheon this week, to name but one place. 

     The last major book event locally was some years ago, even before COVID-19, which certainly did not help revive things any. There will be nationally known authors present, local indie bookstore All Good Books will handle sales, and a group of Indie authors (including yours truly) will be present offering our books. 

   This event is designed for families and everyone. Below is the link, along with links to my books. If you cannot come, contact any of us to purchase a book! and spread the word, please!  Thanks in advance!

https://www.readfreelyfest.com/

My books:

https://www.amazon.com/Books-Arthur-Turfa/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AArthur%2BTurfa

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

I Am Not Thrilled About Writing This!

      Desiderius  Erasmus and Martin Luther agreed on many things, but not Free Will. Luther wrote his response to Erasmus in 1525. A gifted linguist, Luther wrote in Latin except when he was so irritated at the Dutch scholar that he switched briefly to German:  Erasme, das ist zu viel!  (Erasmus, that is too much!)

    I had a moment like that earlier this week when I saw that my theological alma mater, the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC). was hosting a "Glitter Ash Wednesday Service-  Ashes are a statement that death and suffering are real. Glitter is a sign of hope, which does not despair."

   The image could not be loaded, but further down is a video link to the service, which I cannot bring myself to watch yet, if ever.

    Ashes were used by the Hebrews as a sign of mourning. The Church used them and in the 11th Century, the Catholic Church established Ash Wednesday as the start of Lent. Orthodoxy has Great Lent, and the Churches of the Reformation either kept or restored the use of ashes.

    In other words, the Church has gotten along quite well without glitter ashes. The Eucharist/Holy Communion customarily associated with the Imposition of Ashes conveys the hope that there is more than death for humanity.

    My seminary studies began in 1977 at Christ-Seminary Seminex in St. Louis, the offshoot of most of the students, faculty, and staff from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, the flagship seminary of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. US Lutheranism in the 1970s experienced tremendous upheavals. After prayerful consideration and conversation with many people, I transferred to LSTC, the flagship seminary of the Lutheran Church in America  (LCA), from 1988 part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). 

     Make no mistake about it. I was fortunate to have been accepted to the LCA and to attend LSTC. Ordained in 1981, I have been proud of the two seminaries I attended. Seminex deployed in 1983 to several LCA seminaries. primarily to Chicago. My ordained ministry was outside of the Midwest, but I proudly stated my ties to LSTC.

     And then, my Das ist zu viel moment from earlier this week. It was not the first, but it marks the first time I have been open about it. On Facebook, and I assume elsewhere, there are negative comments. some come from pastors who openly identify themselves as queer. I am straight, and while I will not say more, my politics and such would not necessarily mark me as a curmudgeon. 

   One of my comments or replies concerned whether ashes without glitter would be available. The official LSTC answer was that traditional ashes would be mixed with glitter. So, and these are my words, anyone wanting ashes without glitter was out of luck.

     When Holy Communion is celebrated, most of us are receptive to offering gluten-free wafers and various alternatives to wine. I serve these days in congregations of the ELCA and The Episcopal Church, so the practices are varied. My point is that protocols exist so that people can commune.   

    Granted, this is one seminary out of eight, and there are around 8,500 congregations in the ELCA. Both numbers are less than what they were when I was ordained. To me, Glitter Ashes fall into the category of jettisoning time-honored traditions and practices. They are a sign of the Church trying to be relevant and "with it". 

    With negative publicity (yes, there have been some voices in favor), LSTC will have more difficulties. Seminary enrollment everywhere has been declining, and ELCA Lutherans wanting to attend seminary may well look elsewhere. 

     All of this is very sad, and I am not thrilled to post this. Lord, have mercy!

   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0QXLIEfx_8

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My books:

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

My novel:

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

Days Before Germany's Election, the AfD Turns Up the Heat

      The Federal Republic of Germany holds an election on Sunday, February 23. The Afd (Alternative für Deutschland- Alternative for Germany) is an extreme right-wing party that is very close to National Socialism. They are the second-strongest party in the polls. The other parties refuse to enter into a colation with them. Since there are seven major parties in the polls, a coalition is inevitable. 

     I will post a photo of a hateful letter sent to a Lutheran pastor sent by the AfD, as well as my translation. Full disclosure: I am also a Lutheran pastor, and Germany is my second home. Over the years I have studied, traveled, and been deployed there by the US Army. A friend from seminary posted the letter on Facebook last night.

      One might ask why should US citizens care what happens in any other country. After all, we do not always appreciate being told by others what we should do. Elon Musk has made video appearances at AfD events, and most likely has sent them money. Russian involvement is also probably, and not only in Germany. 

     Could such things happen here? Sadly, yes. consider the reaction to Bishop Budde's (The Episcopal Church's bishop of Washington, D.C.) sermon at the National Cathedral last month where she asked President Trump (who attended the traditional service for a new president) to show kindness to fearful people. 

    I will post a link to the letter in the original German, then my translation, and another link about the election in Germany. Terms like "Stormfront"  and "Volk" are laden with fascisict/Nazi thought. I translate the latter as "Nation"

https://www.instagram.com/p/DGN5S4vRq-8/

Mr. Paar,

     It’s high time that the People will not let themselves be spoon-fed lies about climate change and migration. like the Church spreads through homosexuals like you. We, the Section Stormfront of Schleswig--Holstein, the Underground of the Alternative for Germany, with the support of the peasantry, will stand by the People and purify it support the Alternative for Germany with implementing patriotic goals. We will give voice to the People and put the Church in the closet. We will in the future consistently track basic misconceptions on your part. Stop doing them immediately!

  We warn you to stop your opposition and go along with our demands. Keep in mind that we know where you live and that we know your partner.

   Do not avail yourself of the police or the Federal Office for Protection of the Constitution. They are with us,. You will not feel safe anywhere as long as we have the situation under control with the assistance of supporters who are loyal to the Party.

   With patriotic greetings,

Stormfront Schleswig-Holstein

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From the Deutsche Welle: Scroll down for the poll image:

https://www.dw.com/en/german-election-merzs-conservatives-slide-in-yougov-poll/live-71646000

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My books:

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

My novel:

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

What I Am Currently Reading

     I am not counting the books on my Kindle that I have not uploaded!

     The first is something that I started decades ago and stopped. J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit did not hold my interest when I was in junior high school. My preferences ran to the historical or historical fiction.

     The second is Anne Somerset's Queen Anne: The Politics of Passion. She was the last Stuart monarch, which is my favorite British dynasty (to include the Old and Young Pretenders). 

     So then something imagined and something rooted in documented history. When I tire of one, there's the other one for a break.

     What are you reading?

 My books:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=arthur+turfa+books&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss

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

Book Talk at All Good Books in Columbia, SC- What a Good Time!

     Post-Covid everythign has changed. Anytime we gather is a blessing. This is especially so for a Book Talk at an independent book store. 

     All Good Books is in the Five Points section of Columbia, SC, adjacent to the University of south Carolina. Last Thursday there was a mixture of university people, friends, friends who write and play music, and others who came to celebrate with me. It was a stimulating and fun time.

     Signed copies of three titles are available: Epiphanies (short stories from AlienBuddha Press), Saluda Reflections (poetry from Finishing Line Press), and The Botleys of Beaumont County (novel from Blurb). 

    Enjoy some picture, check out the link, and if there is an independent book store near you, stop by. If you are a regular, bring a friend!

 All Good Book Website:

https://allgoodbooks.com/

My books:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=arthur+turfa+books&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss

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

What Paul Verlaine and I Have in Common

 

   

  It has been a busy couple of days,  I missed posting on the actual anniversary of Verlaine's death on January 8. He died in Paris in 1896. I know enough French to enjoy some literature in the original and to navigate in a Francophone environment. There's an earlier blog about how and why I decided to take German after Latin II instead of French.

     In his poem Malines, Verlaine wrote about les prés sans fiun.."  the endless meadows.

    Malines is the French name for Mechelen, in northern Belgium. My maternal grandmother was born near Charleroi and spoke French as her native language. Verlaine also wrote about Charleroi in Belgium. I grew up near the American town of that name south of Pittsburgh. That Charleroi plays a major role in my second novel, which I am currently revising.

    But back to those endless meadows. Before I knew this poem, I used this image from near where we lived in Saluda County, SC as endless fields for a poem in my first poetry book, Places and Times (eLectio Publishing 2015). The second line contains the fields; I include the entire poem.

     The Island

No islander am I, but all the same

I wander green fields that go forever,

Rolling on towards a distant tree line

Or extending along to a sheltered cove.

At times I am invited, encouraged

Even, to stay for longer duration,

Taking my place alongside the others,

Savoring the stillness of hallowed space,

Watching colors brightening with the sun

And listening to wafting songs of praise

Resounding over and over again.

Contentment I find there from distant waves

And storms that come clashing onto the coast,

Until the stinging subtle reminder

That I am sojourner, not citizen.

Then turns my gaze once again to the strand

And beyond to the mainland, hovering

As it were above the waves, beckoning

Me to return and remain there.

On the mainland I indeed have a place

High on a hill. From its wooded crest my

Gaze penetrates the mists which are covering

The island. I have memories of the

Green pleasant hills but now I turn inland

To see the beckoning and distant hills

     

And link to the Verlaine:

https://clicnet.swarthmore.edu/litterature/classique/verlaine/malines.html

Read in French:  https://www.google.com/search?q=verlaine+malines+&sca_esv=db7ed66b9cb86445&udm=7&biw=1280&bih=613&sxsrf=ADLYWII1BcfG5mahZik_UyS89fbpXuEasg%3A1736811497990&ei=6aOFZ92MPPvhwN4Pzar-wAo&ved=0ahUKEwidpYSD7_OKAxX7MNAFHU2VH6gQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=verlaine+malines+&gs_lp=EhZnd3Mtd2l6LW1vZGVsZXNzLXZpZGVvIhF2ZXJsYWluZSBtYWxpbmVzIDIGEAAYFhgeMgYQABgWGB4yCxAAGIAEGIYDGIoFMggQABiABBiiBDIIEAAYgAQYogQyCBAAGIAEGKIEMggQABiABBiiBEjUCVDFB1jFB3ABeACQAQCYAXWgAXWqAQMwLjG4AQPIAQD4AQGYAgKgAnqYAwCIBgGSBwMxLjGgB-gD&sclient=gws-wiz-modeless-video#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:44c70c90,vid:lh_SWz9X2nk,st:0

My books:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=arthur+turfa+books&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss

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

My Thoughts on "A Complete Unknown"

 

    Recently, I went to the movies twice by myself. My wife did not want to see the violence and gore in Gladiator 2. Since I was raised on Sword-and-Sandal movies, I wanted to go (My mother had taught Latin among other things, and thought these movies were educational). 

    For Complete Unknown, I also went stag. No violence or gore, except for dedicated folkies, perhaps. My wife and I saw Dylan in concert a few years ago. He only did one old song, and sat at the piano; we were disappointed. Despite that, I admire Dylan as a great literary figure, and have from high school I remember conversations with an English teacher that went, "I know you want him to be a poet, Art, but...."

    I enjoyed the movie and thought it was very well-acted in the main and supporting roles. Edward Norton's portrayal of Pete Seeger is outstanding and deserves an Oscar.   that it was not 100% historically accurate did not disturb me too much. For instance, no one called him "Judas" at Newport. That happened later in the UK. Dylan actually met Woody Guthrie at his home, not the hospital; Arlo answered the door. 

   Renaming Suze Rotolo confused me, She was extremely influential in his early time in New York. The case could be made that without her, Dylan might have drifted back to Minnesota or into oblivion. A fellow poet friend says she saw where Dylan wanted to rename the character out of respect for Suze. That might stem from residual guilt. She passed in 2011, so obviously she could not have complained. 

   The relationship with Joan Baez, who also helped his career, struck me as being accurately portrayed. Whether Dylan used Suze and Joan, among others, to follow his own path goes beyond my purposes here. Clearly, he is no saint. He has also maintained relationships with people from earlier phases of his life. 

      While the movie brings pleasure to those of us who grew up listening to this music, I find the real importance is introducing that music to new generations. If the music inspires them, that is enough.

Suze Rotolo's books is very informative:

https://www.amazon.com/Freewheelin-Time-Greenwich-Village-Sixties/dp/0767926889

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My books:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=arthur+turfa+books&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss

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

I Enjoy Reviewing Books

 

I forget exactly how or when it started. A year and change ago I offered to review a book from Tupelko Press. A few years back I participated in their 30/30 poetry groups; it was in a December. We committed to write a poem a day, and a few have actually been published since.

Kristina Marie Darling from Tupelo asked for reviews. I submitted one, and she liked it. She usually asks if she can submit it to the Midwest Review, which is fine with me. Once in a while, I hear from a poet/writer. Someone out there must like my reviews, because books show up unannounced.

If a publisher wants me to submit the review myself to various places, I tend to stop reviewing. After all, that is their responsibility. If they want to pay me, that's another matter. However, that has not happened.

In 2024 I reviewed 12 books, mainly poetry. I thought I submitted another one, but did not as December became busy. So I sent that one off yesterday. And two more are coming my way!

Reading/reviewing these books helps me to see what has been published and exposes me to various styles. It is like a workshop-without interaction, but it works for me.

My books:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Arthur-Turfa/author/B00YJ9LNOA?

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