Blog Archives
Pontus and Electra to the Depths of the Sea
In Pontus and Electra: To the Depths of the Sea, Shanti Hershenson weaves a lyrical, aching tale of two lonely great white sharks—Pontus and Electra—who find purpose and connection in each other. Told in a poetic, vignette-like structure, the book alternates perspectives, blending environmental commentary with raw emotion and surprising tenderness. Against the backdrop of warming oceans, human threats, and grief, Pontus and Electra navigate fear, loss, companionship, and ultimately love, diving deeper into the sea and each other.
I didn’t expect to get emotional reading about sharks, but here I am, completely gutted and grateful. Hershenson writes with a dreamy style that’s both tender and brutal. Lines float like seafoam and then crash like waves. I loved the way she captures the loneliness of the ocean, of being “one-of-a-kind,” of searching the blue void for someone who understands. And when Pontus meets Electra? I held my breath. Their relationship builds slowly, clumsily, beautifully. It’s not just a romance, it’s survival, forgiveness, and healing.
There’s no traditional plot arc, and the prose leans on repetition and abstraction. But for me, it worked. It made the ocean feel mythic, the sharks feel ancient and sentient. The environmental message about pollution, overfishing, oil spills, and the cruelty of finning hits hard, but it never feels preachy. It’s heartbreaking because it’s told through creatures just trying to live. The parts about Electra losing her mother were absolutely wrenching.
Pontus and Electra is a love story, yes, but also a quiet plea to look deeper, to care more, to recognize the wild hearts beneath the waves. I’d recommend this book to readers who enjoy poetic storytelling, character-driven narratives, or marine life in fiction. Teens and adults alike could connect with it. It’s especially perfect for fans of lyrical prose and gentle speculative stories.
Pages: 139 | ASIN : B0F6VX7GDB
Shadows Amongst the Threads
Shadows Amongst the Threads is a haunting, soul-baring collection of poetry that plunges headfirst into the murky depths of the human psyche. Written by J.A. Santana, the book explores the concept of the “shadow” — that darker half of our personality Carl Jung warned us not to ignore. The poems are a tapestry of anguish, longing, introspection, and myth. The collection moves through surreal landscapes—withered forests, shadowy corridors, dreamscapes, and apocalyptic ruins—while reflecting on fear, identity, sin, love, and collective moral decay. Santana threads together classical references, psychological insights, and raw emotion, pulling readers deep into a world where monsters wear familiar faces, often our own.
I enjoyed how immersive and atmospheric the writing is. Santana’s voice feels ancient and modern all at once—like a lost prophet speaking in riddles. The rhythm and word choice at times feel Shakespearean or Biblical, yet there’s also a grounded emotional rawness in many of the lines. Some pieces like “Darkness,” “Doppelgänger,” and “Rain I” are unsettling in their vivid imagery but unforgettable in their truths. You can feel the poet wrestling with shame, existential dread, and an aching thirst for meaning. And it isn’t just gloom for gloom’s sake. There’s an undeniable urgency behind the words—as if Santana is begging readers to confront their own shadows before they become monsters.
The language, though beautiful, is dense. I found myself needing to take breaks, reread stanzas, and sometimes simply sit with the weight of it all. A few poems are abstract or metaphor-heavy, and the emotional intensity sometimes overwhelms the clarity. But even when it was hard to follow, I never doubted the sincerity. There’s a strange kind of beauty in getting lost in Santana’s bleak, lyrical universe. It’s not for everyone, but for those who’ve stared down their own darkness, it will feel eerily familiar.
Shadows Amongst the Threads is a collection that rewards patience and introspection. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves poetry that digs deep into the soul and isn’t afraid of getting their hands dirty. It’s especially powerful for readers interested in shadow work, trauma, mythology, and the emotional weight of existence.
Pages: 94 | ASIN : B0BKGZ6L6V
Grief is a Teacher
On the Ever-Lovely Morrow is an introspective poetry collection that explores themes of love, freedom, self-discovery, and personal transformation through honest reflections on life’s challenges and societal norms. Why was this an important book for you to publish?
I felt like I had more that I needed to say, and I needed to share it in a sense and a space that was new. On the Ever-Lovely Morrow is actually the companion to its predecessor At the Beginning of Yesterday, which was published under a different name, that being Tiffiny Rose Allen.
Sometimes, you take a look at your life and see how much you’ve changed, and in the process, you realize how much you need to reinvent yourself, how much you have reinvented yourself, and what image you want to share with the world. I believe as humans we are ever-evolving, and it’s important to show that change is just a staple of life and an important one at that.
In several poems, grief seems to act as a catalyst for transformation. How do you view the relationship between loss and personal growth in your writing?
My relationship with grief has been something that has at times felt like a constant, but I have always found ways to transmute it and make it into something beautiful. Grief is, in and of itself, a beautiful thing, which demands we look at ourselves and our lives and the parts that we are playing in it. Grief is a teacher. I try my best to translate that into my work when I write.
Your reflections on societal norms and expectations are powerful. What inspired you to address these topics so openly in your poetry?
I felt the need to express these topics because they were things that had affected me personally, things that had made an impact on how I held myself, how I viewed myself, and how people viewed me and treated me. I don’t think anyone is limited to being just one thing, and it was important to me to show how multifaceted I am as a person, and hopefully in sharing that, someone could see themselves within those views as well.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I currently have an anthology in the works, it being Volume II of the Dreams In Hiding anthology. The title is After Words We Go From Here and it is centered on After pieces and prose. For those unfamiliar, After pieces are pieces of writing that are inspired by other forms of art or artists. This should be published in the late fall or early winter of 2024.
Apart from that, I have a few different projects that are in the very early stages of development, and we’ll see how they progress, but I am very very excited to share them one day.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon
What comes after Yesterday? There is the present, then tomorrow, what happens on the Ever-Lovely Morrow?
In this companion to the poetry collection At The Beginning Of Yesterday, the ship of the author’s emotions will navigate you through reinvention, resurfacing, and feeling out the waves of healing.
Everything, in some form or another, comes in waves. This is a collection that celebrates being a writer, acknowledges the non-linearity of emotions, and dives into the themes of what it means to step into one’s own definition of living.
Honoring My Life Through Poetry
In Little River of Amazements, you invite readers to explore the human experience through your collection of poems featuring a variety of themes from travel to faith and religion. What inspired you to share this collection of poetry?
As I began to work on this collection of new and selected poems, at the urging of my wonderful editor, Diane Frank, of Blue Light Press, I realized it was different from compiling my earlier poetry books. It was constructing a life in poems, a creation of a personal mythology. It took me a long time to complete it – more than three years. Fifty pages are new poems – the others are from my previous collections. I love doing readings from this book because it feels that I am honoring my life, the people, the experiences, the learnings that are its center. And I think much of it relates to universal experience.
Of all the topics you write about in your poems, what is the one that resonates most with you? Do you have a favorite selection?
I can’t really choose one. Several themes unite the poems in this book and run through my life: the sacredness of nature and of the body, the lives of women in history — ancient, medieval, contemporary, the emergence of voice from deep silence and the spiritual silence we grow into, a lifetime search for meaning. My favorite poem in the book is a sequence of poems called “In the Margins of the Pages.” It originally appeared in my book The Illuminations from 2006 and came out of a study of the the Book of Kells, an eighth century illuminated manuscript on display in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. I loved responding to the medieval drawings with a woman’s interpretation. It pulls together so many of the themes that weave throughout all my poems – Celtic and medieval culture, architecture, symbolism, sexuality, interpretations of Christianity, visual art, immanence in nature.
I have also written some wonderful love poems.
What is one thing you hope readers are able to take away from your collection?
I began writing poetry as a response to life and a search for personal illumination. I hope my poems inspire others on their journey and touch people with beauty through the music of language.
Can fans look forward to more poetry from you soon? What are you currently working on?
I am always writing poems and making books. My challenge is to create beauty in new ways. That’s what I am working on.
I will end with a quote from poet Nicholas Gulig: In my experience, poetry, at its best, breathes life into communities because poetry is, in essence, a deeply communal act.
Author Links: Facebook | Website
Little River of Amazements: New and Selected Poems
Little River of Amazements is a captivating poetry collection that delves into a diverse range of themes, from the intimate dynamics of family to the boundless horizons of travel. Mary Kay Rummel’s poems invite readers to contemplate the complexities of the human experience. Her exploration of spirituality, particularly in pieces like “Life is Losing and Reinvention,” is both compelling and relatable, offering a candid perspective on faith and religion.
Rummel’s keen observation of the natural world is evident throughout the collection. Her ability to capture the essence of her surroundings is truly remarkable, as showcased in “Seven Ways to Change the Names of the Days.” The warmth and nostalgia in her portrayal of her deep connection with her grandmother add a poignant layer to the collection. These evocative poems stir memories of time spent with loved ones, creating a sense of intimacy between the reader and the author.
The author’s mastery of language is undeniable. Rummel crafts intricate sentence structures and employs vivid imagery, creating a truly immersive reading experience. Her poetry is both inspiring and challenging, encouraging readers to view the world through a fresh lens. Ordinary experiences are transformed into extraordinary poetic moments through her skillful use of language.
For those with a wanderlust spirit, Rummel’s travel poems offer a vicarious adventure. Her words transport readers to distant lands, inviting them to share in her experiences and insights. Through her poetry, one can almost feel the sun on their skin, the wind in their hair, and the wonder of new cultures. Little River of Amazements by Mary Kay Rummel is an invitation to view the world through the lens of the author. Rummel’s work is a testament to the power of language to evoke emotion, inspire thought, and broaden perspectives. Her ability to find beauty and meaning in the ordinary is a gift she generously shares with her readers.
Pages: 236 | ISBN : 978-1421835570
The Lilacs I Once Knew: Friddie’s Poems
The Lilacs I Once Knew: Friddie’s Poems is a captivating poetry collection with a compelling backstory. Roni Rosenthal meticulously restored and translated these works to share Friddie’s tale with the world—an account of a talented Romanian poet unjustly imprisoned during the war and communist era.
Each poem in the collection breathes life into Friddie’s emotions, evoking a spectrum of feelings such as hope, love, betrayal, and misery. One of the most poignant sections depicts Friddie’s journey of healing and self-forgiveness. Her profound words create a sense of shared healing with the reader. Through her reflections and vivid contrasts of nature and war, readers gain a renewed appreciation for life. The collection’s variety of rhyming patterns and unique structural elements keep readers engaged and curious throughout. Roni Rosenthal’s translation skillfully preserves the original message and rhythm of the poems, ensuring their impact remains intact. The book’s design complements Friddie’s touching words beautifully. Impactful images, quotes, and photos of Friddie and her family are thoughtfully placed throughout the book, enhancing the emotional resonance of each section and bringing Friddie’s story to life.
The Lilacs I Once Knew is heartbreaking, promising, and beautiful. It honors the memory of one of the many victims of inhumanity and serves as a testament to the enduring power of poetry and resilience.
Pages: 167 | ASIN : B0D9RK929F
LITERARY TITAN 