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In these prosaic poems, the author shares stories and recollections of a unique childhood, filled with memories of Swedish immigrant parents and unforgettable childhood journeys to Sweden. These recollections are balanced with insights into the joys and pitfalls of growing up in an America that is so different from today. Nonetheless, this book is not only a poetic journey through the author's life, but also many unique poetic forms. It also includes many family photos and artistic photos. Therefore, it is a visual journey that explores life's intersections where the visual arts and the written word meet. Most of all, this book offers its audience a steady mantra: "soul food / essential ingredients / love, family, friends."
This book is a powerful testament to the magic, the wonder, and the necessity of family, friends, and a life well-lived. The author recalls losing a very young cousin to leukemia, yet even through dark moments like this, the vignettes encourage individuals to keep finding beauty and joy. Other poems capture, like a carefully taken Polaroid, the imagination and the play that fuels so much of childhood: "friends / wasting time together / a matter of consequence." The hybrid structure of each piece of writing only emphasizes the author's nostalgia and self-reflection. The structure also underscores the rapidity with which life changes and how quickly time passes. This book captures the zeitgeist of a very different era in a personal and interesting way to relive one of America's most distinctive periods. Whoever reads this book will not quickly forget it.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review
Erlandson's Avian Art was a 2025 Eric Hoffer Book Award da Vinci Eye Winner.