Blog Archives

A Daily Purpose

Author Interview
Stephen Jaech Author Interview

Harmony River is a heartfelt collection of poetry that immerses the reader in the rhythm of nature, memory, and human emotion. What inspired you to write this particular collection of poems? 

I write each day. Every day.  If an inspiration comes, I will be at the keyboard to receive it. It does not often stop by to visit, so I have to go looking for it wherever it’s hiding. Making poems supports a daily purpose and an inner life worth living.

What was the biggest challenge you faced in putting together this poetry collection?

Revising until the words find their proper order., their proper euphony, and their most evocative value.

How has this poetry book changed you as a writer, or what did you learn about yourself through writing it?

Pleasure Boat Studio took what I do privately and placed it the public square.  Getting a readership makes a difference.  And I have learned a joy comes from sharing my work in book form.

What is one thing that you hope readers take away from Harmony River?

I hope a reader will sigh, smile, and feel a small part of the emotional punch I endeavor to impart in these poems.

Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads

Rooted in the landscape and culture of the Pacific Northwest, Jaech found formative literary influences in Mother Goose, Theodore Roethke, William Stafford, Nelson and Beth Bentley, David Wagoner, and Richard Hugo. As an heir to the legacies of Blake and Neruda, Jaech’s images remain near the borderland between the real and surreal and seek to reach beyond the commonplace and into the unforeseen. Drawing clarity from ambivalence, Harmony River is the culmination of years of dedication to writing and teaching poetry, and to the epiphanic grace of making art.

Harmony River is a beautifully crafted and emotionally resonant work… I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys being swept up in the quiet, powerful currents of life’s joys and sorrows. -Priscilla Evans, Literary Titan