Something New on Writing to be Read

In my post on Monday, I mentioned that I’ve been out of work and having a difficult time recently. Yet, I am determined to keep at my writing and carry out my business plan for 2024. I received a larger than usual royalty check a few days ago to give me encouragement. It occurred to me that some of you might be willing to help by showing your support through a small donation, so I have provided the opportunity to do that on my About Kaye Lynne Booth page: https://writingtoberead.com/about-me/.

If you’d like to show your support to help keep WordCrafter on track in the coming year, or you’d just like to throw a dollar or two my way, please click on the link and head on over to my author page.

To show my appreciation, I’ll send you a free copy of my short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction as a thank you gift.

*Note: There is a problem with my free book delivery system. If you have donated, your free book will be received as soon as I can get it fixed. Sorry for the delay.

All support is greatly appreciated.

Treasuring Poetry – Meet poet and novelist, Jude Itakali, and a review

Welcome to fabulous poet and novelist, Jude Itakali. As a fellow African, Jude is from Uganda, I always feel we have a lot in common and that our love of this continent, its wildlife, and its people, shows through in our writing. Welcome Jude.

What is your favourite style of poetry to read?

It’s so difficult to choose. I love different forms for different reasons and employ them depending on the purpose.

However, if I had to choose one, I’d go with “haibun”. The transition from vivid verbiage and concise prose, to a juxtaposed haiku which most often provides the ‘wow’ moment, really hits the spot for me. So yeah, haibun it is.

What is your favourite poem in your favourite style to read?

It’s near impossible to pick a favourite as I read poetry in a cocktail of forms and never really remember which haibun or sonnet was my favourite. But I’ll include two haibuns that I read recently that really got me:

Susan B. Auld

 Directed by reception I wait. But not in the same room where I once sat with other pregnant women, where we spoke soft conversations, smiled in recognition, crocheted pastel blankets, read parenting magazines, made lists of things to buy, to do. There is no baby now

winter rain

an empty nest

beneath the tree

Margaret Domaus

 His fingers – are what I can’t stop conjuring. Long and slender nails trim and clean, a baker’s hands lightly dusted with flour.
       snowbound     

 the underground pulse       

of hot springs

What is your favourite style of poetry to write? Why?

Another tough choice. Ask me on a different day and I’ll likely have a different answer. But Afro now, I’ll go with ‘etheree’. I love its descending/ascending order of syllables depending on whether to write a reverse etheree or not. This is because writing in this form enables me to expand my musing upon a single word or simple thought, or else to comprehend complex musings and reduce them to a particular word or single thought.

What is your favourite of your own poems in your favourite style?

My favourite amongst the haibun I’ve written is the most difficult question I have to answer here. It’s impossible to choose amongst my babies. I write all of them with so much emotion. Because of this, I’ll simply pick the most recent haibun from my blog. It’s a little bit longer than a single paragraph and haiku, so I’ll include the link instead:

How do you promote your poetry and poetry books?

Not very well I’m afraid. Promotion is a work in progress. For now, I write for my blog, twitter, and do creative reels on my Instagram. I’m still trying to figure out the self-promotion thing, so any help is absolutely welcome.

Thank you so much for listening to me mumbling.

My review of Jude’s latest book, Dark Butterflies: Poetry and short stories of mental health

Dark Butterflies is a deep and compelling exploration of the darker side of life. Itakali uses poems and short stories to expose the mental health issues that lie hidden under the shiny surface of societies. Some of the poems and short prose pieces interspersed with syllabic poetry, are told from two or even multiple points of view and experiences, which I really liked. One of my favourite prose pieces is A Tale of Two Beauties which is truly heart warming.

A few of the themes explored in this book, with a relevant quote, are as follows:

Child abuse – ‘You carry the mark of a black kiss,
A bruise etched into your every wish’ from Child fleeing light

Loss of hope – ‘All wonder diminishes in their reflection
The light that once sparked is gone’ from Unseen

Split personalities – ‘By day she is Anne
By night she is Liz’ from Split

Drug abuse – ‘Syringe on the cracked floor
Pills to numb the stench of failure’ from Dark themes we do not see

Loneliness – ‘In the dark hour before dawn, I scale the precipice
Of loneliness. If only for a glimpse of a dream.’

Each of the harrowing mental illnesses or seemingly inescapable circumstances, is handled with compassion and understanding by the poet.

This is a beautiful collection that opens the reader’s eyes to the places in life where the shadows have ownership and trauma is the dwellers daily companion.

You can purchase Dark Butterflies from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Butterflies-Poetry-stories-mental-ebook/dp/B0CJ54YLST

Jude also has another poetry book and two novels in the Realms of the Mist series. You can find all of Jude’s books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jude-Itakali/author/B093BJSYTB

About Jude Itakali

Jude Itakali is a poet, writer and fiction author from the suburbs of Kampala, Uganda.

Itakali never liked sharing his books as a child. That has changed, especially since he started writing his own.

A lifelong obsession with ‘the good story’ evoked his personal phrase, “Reality is all around us, but fantasy is a part of us.” Egged on by a conniving appetite to consume works across genres, Itakali crafts the compelling themes and rounded characters in his books.

When not ‘life-ing’ or pursuing infrequent exercise routines, you can find Itakali writing fiction in a small cubicle, or under a tree, furnishing his website, Tales told different, with life epiphanies, ponderous prose, and poetry.

About Robbie Cheadle

Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fourteen children’s books and three poetry books. Her work also features in several poetry and short story anthologies.

Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

The eleven Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.

Robbie and Michael Cheadle have recently launched a new series of children’s books called Southern African Safari Adventures. The first book, Neema the Misfit Giraffe is now available from Amazon.

Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/