People Matter: Sarasota Portraits & Others

About the Book

People Matter: Sarasota Portraits & Others is a collection of poems, most of which describe individuals. These descriptions are often presented by an omniscient third-person narrator who is familiar with the subject’s history, present circumstances and personal thoughts and feelings. In other instances, however, the poem may be a steam-of-conscious presentation of the subject’s thoughts and feelings. For this reason, these poems are called portraits. These portraits, however, describe the psychological and emotional states of the subject characters. The first section of the collection presents sixteen poems focused distinctly on types of individual the author observed residing in Sarasota and its northern neighbor Bradenton, Florida. The people described are of various ages, backgrounds and occupations and, together, they suggest at least the outlines of a community. The focus of the second section of 26 poems is more general in nature, presenting figures of historical or cultural significance from ancient to contemporary times such as the Roman emperor Hadrian, the artist Vincent Van Gogh, the English novelist Thomas Hardy and entertainers Rosemary Clooney and Madonna. These portraits are supplemented by poems which consider in a general way human nature and the human condition. The overriding theme of all the poems is the significance of the individual human life. Contemporary Western culture often gives lip service only to the dignity and value of the individual. This collection asserts that, in fact, people matter, that people are more important than money or power.

About the Author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Len Blanchard is the author of four books. These include An American Passion, an epic poem on the life and killing of Crazy Horse, the great war chief of the Oglala Lakota Sioux which he published through AuthorHouse in 2001. A collection of poems celebrating the marine life of the Florida coast and entitled Provocations of the Birds and the Beach was published by Bellowing Ark Press of Seattle in 2005. Besides this current collection of poems, People Matter: Sarasota Portraits & Others, he has also published through AuthorHouse in 2012 a play entitled The First Day: Albert Camus Meets Crazy Horse in the Kingdom. Since 1991, he has published more than two-hundred poems in literary magazines nationwide. Among the magazines and journals in which his work has appeared are The Greensboro Review, Whetstone, South Carolina Review, Reed, Gulf Coast, Spillway and Roanoke Review. He has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize on three occasions. A native of Connecticut, he now resides in Bradenton, Florida. He holds a B.A. degree in English from Washington and Lee University and a Ph.D. in English from Emory University. Employed for several years as a corporate and business writer in Dallas and Little Rock, he began writing seriously upon his relocation to Florida in 1990. Since 1999, he has taught as an adjunct instructor in the Department of Language and Literature at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. ABOUT THE ARTIST Judy Just is a painter, printmaker and book artist. She holds a B.F.A. degree from Washington University and has studied in Greece and Mexico. Her work is noted for its color and energy, and she has exhibited in Europe, New York, Florida and New Mexico. She has won numerous awards and is in public and private collections. Having recently returned to Sarasota, Florida after more than fifteen years living and teaching in Santa Fe, she is enjoying the beach, biking, cooking and life with her two rescue cats, Leo and Baby Girl. The abundant flora and fauna of Florida will be informing her future work. Even as she remodels her 1950s vintage house, Judy is looking forward to teaching printmaking and bookarts in Sarasota. This is the third book by Len Blanchard she has illustrated. Her work may be viewed on the Web at judyjust.com.