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by John Arends (Author)
Personal, lyrical and honest, this debut book of poems from award-winning author John Arends is as much a collection of stories as it is of poetry. Arends clearly has something to say, as evidenced by his longer pieces, which unfold into narrative journeys of surprising poignancy. In SINEW, his poetic impulses take us from dust-choked back alleys in a Mexican border town, to the granite-shored bays of Greenland, to an abandoned zoo in the Sarajevo war zone. Along the way, he asks us to bear witness to excruciating beauty, crushing despair, the desolation of betrayal, and the colors and hues of unconditional love. At each turn, the lines and language ring with an earnest, emotional resonance, as Arends explores the borderlands of madness and bliss that are modern-day life.
Author Biography
John Arends is an award-winning poet, author, playwright and screenwriter. After earning a degree in journalism at Iowa State University, he completed two years of post-graduate study as a recipient of the prestigious Pearl Hogrefe Fellowship in Creative Writing. During that time, he also served as editor-in-chief of the pictorial book IOWA: The American Heartland, featuring an introduction by Time magazine correspondent Hugh Sidey and the images of the National Geographic photographer Craig Aurness. Arends participated in the early days of Marc Smith's poetry slams at the Green Mill, and more recently he has been writing screenplays for television and Hollywood. These include his feature film script TRICE, inspired by the true story of Jack Trice, the first and only African-American to have a major college football stadium named in his honor. In 2014, Arends was selected to write an original feature film for the National Football League. He and his wife, Anne, live in the Fox River valley west of Chicago, where they've raised three now-adult children -- Kate, Allie and Dave. They enjoy running with a pack of four-leggers, led by their golden retriever, Ellie, and two cats, Murphy and Watson, who are truly gifted and know it.
