Beloved on the Earth: 150 Poems of Grief and Gratitude [Paperback]

Jim Perlman (Editor), Deborah Cooper (Editor), Mara Hart (Editor), Pamela Mittlefehldt (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2009

“A lovely book… This is a collection of poems that help give meaning to our grief and remind us that we are not alone.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune

“This anthology is sure to find its way to bookshelves in churches and funeral homes. It's a perfect collection from which to pick a reading for a loved one's memorial service.”—St Paul Pioneer Press

“An anthology filled with healing and hope.”—Rabbi Lawrence Kushner

“Beloved on the Earth is a timeless anthology, a meditation on ‘our capacity for wonder and for grief.’…The book itself…is the best book of poems I have reviewed so far this year.”—Vince Corvaia

“This would be an excellent resource for families and staff offering a way to be open to healing and grace.”—Michele Fedderly, Executive Director, Hospice Minnesota

This engaging anthology of 150 poems brings together a range of responses to the experiences of death, mourning, and gratitude for lost loved ones, composed by a variety of poets, both emerging and well-known. These poems can provide insight, solace, and understanding.

“Late Fragment” by Raymond Carver

And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth.

Jim Perlman is founding editor and publisher of Holy Cow! Press. He has edited two previous anthologies: Brother Songs: A Male Anthology of Poetry (1979) and, with Ed Folsom and Dan Campion, Walt Whitman: The Measure of His Song (1981; revised edition, 1998).

Deborah Cooper is the author of four poetry chapbooks, most recently Between the Ceiling & the Moon from Finishing Line Press. She has used poetry extensively in her work as a hospice chaplain and conducts writing classes for individuals grieving the loss of loved ones.

Mara Hart writes memoir in prose and poetry. She has been an editor of several literary periodicals. Her book, Lovecraft’s New York Circle, was published in 2007 by Hippocampus Press (New York City).

Pamela Mittlefehldt is a poet and a mystery writer. She is working on a collection of essays about the meaning of place, and she is exploring the power of story to transform our lives as individuals and as a community.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jim Perlman is the founding editor and publisher of Holy Cow! Press. He has edited to previous anthologies (Brother Songs: A Male Anthology of Poetry, 1979; and, with Ed Folsom, Dan Campion Walt Whitman: The Measure of His Song (1981; rev. ed. 1998). He lives in Duluth, Minnesota. Deborah Cooper is the author of four poetry chapbooks, most recently "Between the Ceiling & The Moon" by Finishing Line Press. She has used poetry extensively in her work as a Hospice Chaplain and conducts writing classes for individuals grieving the loss of a loved one. She and her husband, Joel, a visual artist, frequently exhibit their collaborative images. Mara Hart writes memoir in prose and poetry. She has been an editor of several literary periodicals. Her book, "Lovecraft's New York Circle," was published in 2007 by Hippocampus Press, New York City. Pamela Mittlefehldt is a poet and a mystery writer. She has retired from teaching at Saint Cloud State University where she taught American Studies and Community Studies. Currently, she is working on a collection of essays about the meaning of place, and is exploring the power of story to transform our lives as individuals and as a community.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Holy Cow! Press (June 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977945898
• ISBN-13: 978-0977945894
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #618,364 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alan Elyshevitz is a short story writer and poet who was born in New York City and now lives in East Norriton, PA. His fiction has received awards from Antietam Review, The Cream City Review, Pebble Lake Review, Briar Cliff Review, and Yemassee. His collection of stories, "The Widows and Orphans Fund," is forthcoming from Stephen F. Austin State University Press. In addition, he has published two poetry chapbooks: "The Splinter in Passion's Paw" (New Spirit) and "Theory of Everything" (Pudding House). He is a three-time Pushcart Prize nominee and a two-time recipient of a fellowship in fiction writing from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. Currently he is an Assistant Professor of English at the Community College of Philadelphia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A rich collection, June 29, 2009

By 

Ted Bowman (Saint Paul, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beloved on the Earth: 150 Poems of Grief and Gratitude (Paperback)

Because grieving is individual and ever-changing, a collection of perspectives and experiences can be valuable. This rich collection of poems of grief and gratitude will be a valuable resource for grieving persons and those that work them. Turn the page and the reader will find a poem that is similar in experience or one that invites further pondering or affect. Turn another page and find a metaphor or image that opens vistas for sorrow and appreciation.

I highly recommend this volume. It is full of many wonderful poems.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just mourning, these poets express their gratitude for the positive impacts the eulogized have had in their lives, September 7, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beloved on the Earth: 150 Poems of Grief and Gratitude (Paperback)

The loss of one's family is one of the toughest things one will ever face. The collaborative project of Jim Perlman, Deborah Cooper, Mara Hart, and Pamela Mittlefehldt, "Beloved on the Earth: 150 Poems of Grief and Gratitude" is a collection of poems from various well known poets as they reflect on the losses of their loved ones and the wide range of emotions they feel in remembering what they have done to their lives. Not just mourning, these poets express their gratitude for the positive impacts the eulogized have had in their lives. "Beloved on the Earth" is a moving compilation, highly recommended. "Pueblo Blessing" by Judith E. Prest: Hold onto what is good/Even if it is a handful of earth.//Hold onto what you believe/Even if it is a tree that stands by itself.//Hold onto what you must do/Even if it is a long way from here.//Hold onto life/Even if it seems easier to let go.//Hold onto my hand/Even if I have gone away from you.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Remembering Loved Ones, March 27, 2010

By 

Melissa Slachetka (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beloved on the Earth: 150 Poems of Grief and Gratitude (Paperback)

Spending time with family and remembering loved ones is what life - and death - is all about, but for some it's a little harder than for others. Beloved on the Earth is an anthology of poems that can ease this distress.

When the iron horse shakes the platform,
she'll board, saying, "What a lovely
thing to find." And I'll wave goodbye.
What a lovely thing to lose.

One thing that makes this anthology so interesting is the story of its creation. Jim Perlman, editor and publisher for Duluth's Holy Cow! Press, started planning this collection of poetry after his mother passed away; he was joined by three friends and literary enthusiasts who also experienced a loss. Each, through dealing with their grief, realized how little has been written or compiled about the experience of death and mourning. They put out a call for poems and were overwhelmed at the response, which they narrowed to 150 poems on the subject of "grief and gratitude."

The collection features over 25 Minnesota writers, as well as writers from as far away as Japan and Indonesia. Names like Tess Gallagher, Raymond Carver Jr., and Susan Carol Hauser may be instantly familiar, but the book also features plenty of newcomers. The title of the anthology is taken from a poem by Raymond Carver called "Late Fragment," the first one in the book.

And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on earth.

There is one detractor to this nice package of poetry, and that is the cover. With its neon tones and blurred, 70s-wallpaper look, it's just not serious enough for the work that's inside. The most appealing aspect is the variety of the poems. While it isn't a book you want to sit down and read through all at once, it is a book you can pick up to find inspiration. Just knowing it's there on the shelf might be a comfort in itself.