Customer Reviews

SAILING IN THE MIST OF TIME: Fifty Award-Winning Poems

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This anthology of poetry is certain to contain poems that will touch lovers of the genre in one way or another. Anger, regret, love, memories,imagery of nature...just about every emotion one can experience is beautifully versed within these pages. The judges of these poems obviously know their craft.

I didn't plan it that way, but I've just realized that exactly half the 106 new, hitherto unpublished poems featured in this Anthology were written by women. As an editor, I made no attempt at all to represent men and women evenly. The poems were selected by Professor D.C. Konrad of Chicago (she's a woman) and me purely on the basis of merit. It was natural to include "Remembrance" by Susan Keith, a superb memoir of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, told in "her own words", which won a First Prize; and Debbie Camelin's "Intimidation", the author's moving account of an actual incident of attempted racial intimidation in South Africa, another First Place winner. By way of contrast, Sally Odgers achieved a Second Placing for "Spinning Pearls", an atmospheric, almost mystical "slice of life", tinged with fantasy. Cynthia Rausch Allar gained a Third Place in the same contest for her poignant "Uncovered", a narrative poem of a young girl's disappointment in St Anthony. Jacqueline Cooke's evocatively picturesque "Fragments from Crete" won a Third Place in a different contest. And of course numerous High Distinction and Highly Commended poems by women writers are also included in the Anthology. There's not space to review them all, but I will single out three poems for special mention. They didn't win any awards, because they were written by Professor Konrad herself and I insisted they be included in the book: "The Day That Might Have Been", a heart-tugging account of a young bride who could not wait another hour for the groom; "Trouble with Time" which most cleverly and succinctly states its fanciful premise in the first line: "Did you hear the argument I had with our Today?" And "Knowing You". Most of the poets represented live in the U.S.A., but there are authors from Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Israel, South Africa, Greece, Singapore, France, Denmark, Ireland and Germany as well.