Overview

"This collection of poetry centers on my reflections of the concepts surrounding civility, and writing the poems has been restorative to me and to my understanding of this ancient concept. Beginning with the traditional notion of manners and politeness (George Washington, Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior, 1744), and continuing to the more subtle concepts of compassion, dignity, human value, human worth, forgiveness, and self-dignity, this collection is an attempt to understand and explain a concept that has varied over time and through different cultures. The concept is often connected with civilization and civil because they share the same root word, but civility is more active, more basic, and more personal. ""Being civil to one another is much more active and positive a good than mere politeness or courtesy,"" (Robert B. Pippin, The Persistence of Subjectivity, 2005). In order to fully comprehend civility, one must reevaluate the status quo and build on the ancient principles of the interdependence of human beings (Dalai Lama, Beyond Religion, 2011). Civility is therefore interconnected with compassion, justice and humanity. An important research question when contemplating civility is, ""When did human life become disposable, and can we reverse that belief?"" As much as civility is typically associated with qualities such as politeness and the display of good manners, for contemporary social and political theorists it has increasingly come to represent civic virtues such as tolerance, non- discrimination and public reasonableness. Civility is therefore ""more"" than good manners (Melanie White, An Ambivalent Civility, Canadian Journal of Sociology, 2006)."

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9781938462429

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Reviews

A paean to civility that couldn't come at a better time.In 1744, when he was 13, future president George Washington famously wrote out 110 rules of civility, which generally involved propriety and decorum; for example, his 15th rule reads, Keep your nails clean and short, also your hands and teeth clean. Curtin, the executive director of the 4Civility Institute, a conflict-management consultancy, cites Washington in his poems on civility, but he has grander aims in mind. Although civility may still have something to do with manners, as the author sees it, the concept also encompasses compassion, dignity, human value, human worth, forgiveness, and self-dignity. Overall, the book is both an exploration and a celebration of these fundamental values. For the author, one of the key competencies of civility is listening to understand, and he devotes multiple poems to how one may develop this skill; in one he writes, The real gift comes through / abandoning listening to respond / and learning to listen to understand. / I learn very little when my lips are moving, except / perhaps what I already know. He makes clear in this and in other pieces that listening-and civility in general-is about building genuine, empathetic connections with other people. It's only through such connections, the author says, that one can come to recognize others as indispensable, which is foundational to Curtin's understanding of civility: The day that you decide that no one should/ ever be considered disposable is the day you / change your thinking about everything. In these days of division and acrimony, the author's message is more valuable than ever, and its call is only amplified by Chan's gorgeous illustrations, which mingle color photographs of natural and human-made surfaces with inkblots-a visual narrative that harmonizes well with Curtin's verse. A vital discussion of a crucial virtue. Kirkus Reviews .... A beautifully crafted and insightful book...which holds your attention and encourages reflection and introspection on the path through life and the people we meet along the way. Highly relevant in these times (COVID-19 and civil unrest worldwide) in developing a personal philosophy of actually and actively listening to bring about change.... Dr. Paul Quantock, Chairman, The Foundation for Entrepreneurial Participation, Hull, E Riding of Yorkshire, UK Curtin's prose poems are philosophical, drawing on his experiences with mediation and conflict resolution. They're also concerned with self-help; many read like instructions or self-affirmations, placing emphasis on accepting responsibility and creating one's own destiny. Incivility in the workplace, the strengths and failures of communication, and the power of listening are addressed in poems like On Listening: A Gift of Compassion : Listening to understand is a gift that you can bestow on others while you receive a tremendous return on investment. I learn very little when I am listening to respond and at best, I only amplify my own ignorance as I convince myself of my own importance. Witty moments lighten the elsewhere heavy tone: one entry asks whether converting oxygen to CO2 your primary purpose, while another, On Being Trumped or Chumped -an apparent criticism of President Trump-is quick to integrate with the book's overall theme. It makes the essential point that one person's normal is another's abnormal. PETER DABBENE, ForeWord Reviews

A paean to civility that couldn't come at a better time.In 1744, when he was 13, future president George Washington famously wrote out 110 rules of civility, which generally involved propriety and decorum; for example, his 15th rule reads, Keep your nails clean and short, also your hands and teeth clean. Curtin, the executive director of the 4Civility Institute, a conflict-management consultancy, cites Washington in his poems on civility, but he has grander aims in mind. Although civility may still have something to do with manners, as the author sees it, the concept also encompasses compassion, dignity, human value, human worth, forgiveness, and self-dignity. Overall, the book is both an exploration and a celebration of these fundamental values. For the author, one of the key competencies of civility is listening to understand, and he devotes multiple poems to how one may develop this skill; in one he writes, The real gift comes through / abandoning listening to respond / and learning to listen to understand. / I learn very little when my lips are moving, except / perhaps what I already know. He makes clear in this and in other pieces that listening-and civility in general-is about building genuine, empathetic connections with other people. It's only through such connections, the author says, that one can come to recognize others as indispensable, which is foundational to Curtin's understanding of civility: The day that you decide that no one should/ ever be considered disposable is the day you / change your thinking about everything. In these days of division and acrimony, the author's message is more valuable than ever, and its call is only amplified by Chan's gorgeous illustrations, which mingle color photographs of natural and human-made surfaces with inkblots-a visual narrative that harmonizes well with Curtin's verse. A vital discussion of a crucial virtue. Kirkus Reviews .... A beautifully crafted and insightful book...which holds your attention and encourages reflection and introspection on the path through life and the people we meet along the way. Highly relevant in these times (COVID-19 and civil unrest worldwide) in developing a personal philosophy of actually and actively listening to bring about change.... Dr. Paul Quantock, Chairman, The Foundation for Entrepreneurial Participation, Hull, E Riding of Yorkshire, UK Curtin's prose poems are philosophical, drawing on his experiences with mediation and conflict resolution. They're also concerned with self-help; many read like instructions or self-affirmations, placing emphasis on accepting responsibility and creating one's own destiny. Incivility in the workplace, the strengths and failures of communication, and the power of listening are addressed in poems like On Listening: A Gift of Compassion Listening to understand is a gift that you can bestow on others while you receive a tremendous return on investment. I learn very little when I am listening to respond and at best, I only amplify my own ignorance as I convince myself of my own importance. Witty moments lighten the elsewhere heavy tone: one entry asks whether converting oxygen to CO2 your primary purpose, while another, On Being Trumped or Chumped -an apparent criticism of President Trump-is quick to integrate with the book's overall theme. It makes the essential point that one person's normal is another's abnormal. PETER DABBENE, ForeWord Reviews

Author Information

"John-Robert Curtin, Ph.D. is a Senior Fellow and Executive Director of the 4Civility Institute, Louisville, Kentucky and 4Civility Institute, Limited, Dublin Ireland. He is also a faculty member at the University of Louisville and at Indiana University and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in mediation, restorative justice, and alternative dispute resolution. He is the author of An Exploratory Study of Existing State Anti-Bullying Statutes, (2016), Lambert Academic Press and a contributing author to a two-volume set, ""Workplace Bullying and Mobbing"" ABC-CLIO, Inc., Santa Barbara, California, January 2018. 4Civility Institute provides mediation training, ombuds training, certifications, software reporting systems, restorative justice, and behavioral transition practice solutions to schools, businesses and organizations. He has extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution, restorative justice, education, training, and in anti-bullying efforts. He also is the founder of the Connected Learning Network, an education-based company, which has provided online services to over 120 schools, colleges, businesses and organizations worldwide. In that capacity, he has been a sub-contractor to 8 European Commission funded projects and numerous U.S. funded projects. Mr. Curtin is also known for his work in public television, as an Emmy award winning producer and station president. He has over 200 local, national and international programs to his credit. His Ph.D. is from University of Louisville in Alternative Dispute Resolution. His academic background also includes degrees in creative writing and oceanography. He describes himself as a ""serial social entrepreneur with an over-commitment addiction"". John-Robert Curtin began writing as an undergraduate at Syracuse University and had the great good fortune to be in Syracuse University's poetry writing program and study with Donald Justice, Phillip Booth, and W.D. Snodgrass. Ying Kit Chan has presented his art work in over 200 exhibitions in the United States as well as in Australia, Canada, Ecuador, Germany, Korea, Japan, England, Hong Kong, Poland, Taiwan, Italy, Switzerland and Portugal. He is presently a professor of art at the University of Louisville. Inspired by the Deep Ecology philosophy as well as Taoist and Buddhist ideologies, his work celebrates the richness and diversity of all life forms, and contemplates the interconnectivity and harmony of our universe."

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