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Above and Below.
Phyllis Jean Green. Pudding House Publications, February, 2007.
34 Pages. ISBN-10: 1589984897
Above and Below is available for purchase at:
Bookhitch,
Author's Den,
Phyllis Jean
Green's website
Above and Below
The themes in this book range from what it is like to be living
on the street in the winter, the way time stretches for children
playing outside on a warm summer evening, and the ephemeral
beauty of a sun-dappled pond; settings from post-Katrina New
Orleans, a freshman dorm, a sleet-slick city street, and a milk
train hurtling through the night. Many of the poems in the
chapbook are autobiographical. All strive for the kind of
universality that makes a reader say, I really relate.
The writing bug bit Phyllis Jean Green at age 8. A small essay
prize at 12 sealed the deal. She was not able to write regularly
until her children were grown and she finished her education.
Her poetry, fiction, and nonfiction began meeting acceptance in
1986. Her experiences as a speech and language pathologist
working with brain-injured adults and people with developmental
disorders eventually added grist to her mill. In 1999, Diverse
City Press published a special education-related biography
biography she wrote on behalf of Patricia M. Apple. Her work has
appeared in hundreds of publications, on and off the Web.. Her
awards include first prize, Dan Sullivan Memorial Contest; first
prize, Poetic Liberty, and multiple Sensations Magazine awards.
Other credits include Timbuktu, Sulphur River, Visions, Snow
Monkey, The Pedestal Magazine, Cold Mountain Press anthologies,
and a Thunder-Rain Press anthology. She only recently began
writing haiku. Taj Mahal Review and Harvests of New
Millennium [India] have published a number. Pudding House
published her chapbook, Above and Below. A former
L'Intrigue editor and contributor, she writes for Angels That
Care, an organization dedicated to reducing domestic violence
and helping victims and their families. Her affiliations include
the NC Poetry Society. The Illinois native's interest include
art in virtually any form, history, psychology, movies, crostics,
flora and fauna, and Nicky the Dog. She and her husband live
near alma mater UNC-Chapel Hill. They have three great
grandchildren and one on the way.
writer's biography
Read
selected poems from Above and Below.
Reviews
Discover and Celebrate! In Phyllis Jean Green's ABOVE AND BELOW
readers discover and celebrate the voice of an exceptional
modern poet whose work and words drench suffering with
compassion, history with relevance, and human love with soulful
depth. This is a title to greedily savor for oneself and to make
a gift of to others--something we especially should not overlook
as we observe National Poetry Month.
—Aberjhani -"Best Poet/Spoken Word Artist,” CONNECT SAVANNAH
Review by John Amen, The Pedestal Magazine
I sat outside yesterday and read the collection in its entirety,
twice. I like these pieces very much! Many of the pieces have
that wonderful epistolary style that I mentioned to you before.
You employ that approach so well--a kind of informality, an
organic flow. I really sensed that in the opening poem as well
as in various parts of many other poems. I enjoyed "Recovery,
Phase II," the melancholy philosophy of "Comeback!," "Ink
Drawing." Of course, it was great to see "Aliases Tackle..."
again. I like that poem very much. "Twilight to Who Knew..."
strikes me as a very poignant and sincere piece, and I
appreciated it's directness. "Zoo-Logic" struck me as somewhat
whimsical, which I appreciated very much, too. I think the final
poem, "Hope," carries a powerful and encouraging message and is
a great way to close the collection. I'm glad that Pudding House
put this collection out.
—John Amen, Publisher of The
Pedestal Magazine, Poet, Author, Musician, and Artist
Review by R.C. Rutherford, The Moonwort Review. When I
first published Phyllis Jean Green’s poetry, I thought she was
in her 20’s. Her poetry exhibits a youthful and energetic voice,
often interesting and humorous. It is that voice moving from
soulful to sophisticated that captures my attention and
admiration.
—Robert Rutherford, former editor of The Moonwort Review
Review by Poet Elizabeth Price
I read this book and was thoroughly entranced. Truly original,
diverse and compassionate. A thoroughly passionate write.
Excellent.
—Liz Price
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