The March 19 publication of Reggie Marra’s “This Open Eye: Seeing What We Do” marks the 3rd anniversary of the U.S. bombing of Baghdad, and unblinkingly exposes the impact of violence on civilians, soldiers, and the human psyche “with stunning, graphic precision.” Marra’s images and insights condemn Augustinian and American arguments for “just war” and depict the ongoing triumph of politics and power over principle and people in late 20th- and early 21st-Century world leadership.
New Milford, CT (PRWEB) February 15, 2006 –- From the Heart Press announces the March 19, 2006 publication of Reggie Marra’s fourth book, “This Open Eye: Seeing What We Do – Poems 2003-2005.”
Mr. Marra dismisses political semantics and spin with the book’s dedication: “These poems are dedicated to every survivor whose body or heart has been broken, and to the memory of every soul whose heart has been stopped, by those of us who kill so easily—whether the killing was called a violent crime, an act of war, an act of terrorism or collateral damage, and regardless of where the killing took place. The details don’t make much difference to the dead.”
A native of Yonkers, NY, Mr. Marra’s previous books include “Living Poems, Writing Lives: Spirit, Self and the Art of Poetry” (nonfiction, 2004); “Who Lives Better Than We Do?” (poetry, 2001); and “The Quality of Effort: Integrity in Sport and Life for Student-Athletes, Parents and Coaches” (nonfiction, 1991). An educator for 32 years, including 21 in secondary and higher education, he is the founding director of Integral Journeys for Pilgrims, Poets, Fools and Saints, an organization that engages integral approaches to ongoing development of body, mind, soul and spirit. Also a member of the National Speakers Association, Mr. Marra currently resides in CT with his family.
Pre-Publication Praise for “This Open Eye”:
“‘This Open Eye’ is a powerful, devastating, and stunningly beautiful book. Reggie Marra has unfalteringly absorbed the images and voices of the war in Iraq, pared them down to the bone, and handed them back to us that we, too, might bear witness to our times. Not in any of these poems, or the essay, does he take the easy way out. Like Breyten Breytenbach, Nelly Sachs, and Antonio Machado before him, Marra reclaims the essentially human from both the brutal and the brutalized.”
- Trebbe Johnson, author of “The World Is a Waiting Lover: Desire and the Quest for the Beloved”
“Reggie Marra writes with stunning, graphic precision—brutal scenes the American news skips over, scenes of endless sorrow that politicians bury under false phrases like ‘total victory.’ I read these small but huge poems with a chill of recognition and gratitude—thank goodness for poets like Reggie Marra who look deeply and care even more deeply about telling the truth. These poems are tributes to the nearly-invisible wounded and the honest humanity so many of us yearn for now.”
- Naomi Shihab Nye, author of “You & Yours” and National Book Award finalist for “19 Varieties of Gazelle”
“Reggie Marra captures the tragedy of war from all angles. His vision expands beyond gender and race to embrace the humanity of us all. Unafraid to depict the graphic consequences of hate, uninhibited in his words by the politics of aggression, Reggie bravely steps into the epicenter of world conflict and individual suffering. He captures the colors of youth and the mud of death, creating a dichotomous reality that has brought poets and artists to their knees since the dawn of civilization. Reggie is the journalist of our times. His poetic images will be remembered for centuries to come.”
- Eileen Albrizio, author of “Messy on the Inside,” “Rain – Dark as Water in Winter” and “On the Edge”
From the Heart Press is an imprint of Integral Journeys for Pilgrims, Poets, Fools and Saints.
To read three poems, including the title poem: http://www.integraljourneys.com/excerpts.html
To read reviews of previous books: http://www.integraljourneys.com/reviews.html
For general information about Reggie Marra and his work: http://www.integraljourneys.com/about.html
BOOK DETAILS: ISBN 0-9627828-2-3 / PRICE $12.00 / FORMAT: Trade Paper / 51 pp
Order directly from the publisher: Shipped price: $14.00 ($14.84 in CT) Send checks to:
Integral Journeys
TOE-PRW206
15 Orchard Heights
New Milford CT 06776-3018
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