Overview

"It may be that his rural and small-town NC roots leak out in the poetry of Doug Jennette. Certainly, his attention to subtle aspects of nature, contradictions inherent in human relationships, the tender connections possible among men who search for deeper meaning in life, and the grief that is part of life's natural cycles are all present in his poetry. Doug's decision to write a ""preamble"" for each of his poems places them in a context of time, place and his life experience; hence the subtitle ""A Memoir in Verse."" This aspect of his work is uncommon for books of poetry. Often, the vivid imagery and sometimes oblique observations of Doug's poems catch one's attention in a way that requires re-reading to discover their essence. And, as with any creative effort, the depth and meaning of each poem will be experienced differently by each reader. The author writes: Ernest Becker, in the introduction to his 1973 ""The Denial of Death,"" writes about the human ""mythical hero-system"" in which we strive for a kind of immortality by creating edifices (temples, skyscrapers, books) which provide a sense that we have primary value and worth in the world around us. To the extent that this book is one of my immortality projects, the ultimate worth of it will be determined by the reader. It has been both laborious and delightful to interact with this rather modest body of work, enjoy the memory of the creation of it, make it as good as my creative talents allow, take pleasure in the images and sounds, and offer it to anyone who may be curious about the nearly life-long musings of a retired psychotherapist."

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9780578814407

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I wish I could write like Doug Jennette. He makes no claim to be a professional poet, but this book is like his poet coming out as a memoir in verse. Honest in its invasion of the secrets of family life, he opens both his inner and outer worlds to the reader. Just get yourself a copy and read for joy. -Bennett Myers Doug Jennette has written a brave and poignant book of poems. He does his best to stare mortality (mainly his own) squarely in the face - and does so with grace, humility and imagery all his own. His is a witness - to the slow and certain decline of a close friend with developing dementia; to the transformation of a cypress tree that went down in a flood into a carved bench honoring a gifted comrade. ... Doug makes some amazing leaps with his images. -Lou Lipsitz

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