Dear Friends,
What a year it has been! There has been so much going on in our country and the world it is hard to keep track of it all. I like to think of all of us, not just the poetry community, but the entirety of the world as an unseen often unheralded community, and that if we could come together without the trappings of tribalistic biases such as class, race, gender, status, etc. we would find commonality and therein would lie peace. This would, of course, be a place where internal biases would slough off as easily as melted butter. How do we get to that internal and external paradise? I would posit either listening to Bach or a good glass of rich blackberry Manischewitz, yet one does not want to drown themselves in alcohol and even music has its limits, there is nothing worse than a case of earworm even with the great B’s. So, what is the solution? Is there an anodyne? I would say one can find it in poetry, for it provides a salve without odious side effects. Where is such a balm? It is right here. After eleven years of diligence, wading through the mist with the likes of Wordsworth, Keats, Shelley, Blake, Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf, and more recently, Sappho, I am ready to take a leap of faith. However, to do that, I will need your help. At present, I have thirty-three books that have yet to see the light of day. I have submitted these to various agents, publishers, etc. many of them saying we love your work, but how would we sell it? Now to me, that is a copout after all that is their job, and so if they can’t do their job, then maybe they should consider other employment. However, that is beside the point, and truly, I do understand; poetry is a tough gig, and a hard sell. Even Keats, felt that at the end of his life he had accomplished little and what was it all for? I have thought the same. The work has never been about glory or fame, it has always been about YOU. Every word, every book, has been to benefit humanity. So, I have told myself that if nothing comes of it, at least it has been completed and that if it’s not appreciated at least, I did my best, the attempt was made, and made with love. I have long felt that the work should speak for itself. Meaning that though I will do my best to get it out there, once read, it should, through merit alone, reach people. I hope that I am not wrong, however, only time will tell if I am correct.
Now an overview of my work and Hymn to Equity Poems for William Wordsworth, as well as the entire series. Each book is written in a hybrid form of metered verse and free verse, which has been my style for quite some time. One way to think of it is that it is like the philosophy of Eddie Van Halen, when he was asked who he emulated when he began composing rock and roll and he said no one, he was just himself. This has stuck with me because my work is similar. While it has meter, and free verse, it blends the two with a seamlessness that I hope you will find intriguing, thought-provoking, and unique. It is my aim through this amalgamation of form to reach lovers of meter and free verse. For a sneak peek, the first three sections of Hymn to Equity were published on Sirius Editorial, along with an interview of this author.
What will you find within each volume?
§ Each tells the life story of one of the Romantic poets, through poetry in the case of Volume I, Wordsworth in a volume consisting of one hundred and twenty poems,
§ Footnotes have been appended where needed.
§ An en précis (mini-biography) on the life of the poet,
§ A short author’s note, with my thoughts on the poet and the work therein.
§ Each section has ten poems. Why ten? Ten is enough to hold the reader’s attention without overwhelming.
§ A bibliography of all sources used.
Volume I is unique, not only because it is the first volume in the series, but since it opens with a foreword by Dr. James Rovira, professor of English Literature from Drew University whose specialty is the Romantics. His insights concerning the series, my work, and his willingness to champion this effort is something I am grateful for. I am honored to have had such a distinguished person of letters add his name to it.
Now to the crux of things, I need funds to get this going. I am preparing to launch a Kickstarter in December to raise enough capital so that I can begin my effort to get Vol. I of the series (for Wordsworth) out there. I am writing to you not to ask for funds, but to ask if you would be willing to read my book and either, do a video review (which I can use in the Kickstarter promo) or write a review which I shall put on the flyleaf and in ads and other promotional material. If you want to do both a video and written review that is great too. If the response exceeds my expectations, I may be able to offer you a signed physical copy as well. During these tumultuous times, I believe more than ever that as artists, editors and writers, we are the storytellers of our age and the historians that will pass on to future generations the lessons we have learned. At the same time after trying valiantly to get this work out to mainstream publishers, and time being of the essence, it is clear to me this is the only avenue left. Hopefully, if we can make a dent in the market, meaning gain some traction we can prove all the naysayers wrong, that poetry does not sell, and that no one reads it. I think the time for that is now. If you are interested, please message me through the contact link so that we can talk further. Wishing everyone peace and love.
Best wishes,
Aria
Aria Ligi 