STORIES
BY
C.J.Stevens
Confessions
:
New and Selected Stories
Realities are Stories.
Stories are Realities and often Confessions
.
Each life, seen clearly, is a confession. It could be weighted by the feeling "Ah! If only I could do this all over!" We find the charismatic veterinarian who sacrifices inner growth for admiration and lust; and the alcoholic who bares himself with a total wrenching honesty. Sometimes, confession is fossilized by fear, as in "A Shot in the Dark," when paranoia is punctuated by reality; and for Harry, whose hypochondria -- or is it hypochondria? -- accosts him with its dark demons.
Here are sketches of the past: a child's first great loss; the horror that afflicts a boy on his first public appearance; an early curiosity in the forbidden world of sexuality; and how, later, the secret doors are opened to his reluctant eyes.
There is humor interwoven with colorful threads. There is a cow's visit, and the story of the cowardly "Arresting Deputy," who finds heroism through serendipity. Then there are the confessions that should have been, and are made here for the perpetrators. The cruelty of bored men who, for amusement, force children into hatred; the stepfather, armed with hurtful knowledge, luxuriates as he mercilessly nudges a boy into worthlessness.
The stories of Confessions are absorbing not merely because they are "true," but because they have the integrity of truth. The characters collide or drift with the obstacles that circumstance and their own temperaments provide for them -- there is never a false note. One smiles with recognition when one meets these people in the street -- perhaps in the mirror. What happens to them becomes important to us, and they are etched three dimensionally in the mind. As with each of C.J. Stevens' books, Confessions entices one to frequent re-reading.
The Folks From Greeley's Mill and Other Maine Stories
Here comes Gordon Stuart, the exuberant veterinarian, whose visits are joyfully anticipated by the farmers, their wives, and some other ladies. He is restless and inquisitive, with shoulders too slippery for burdens. Here is Lula Hamwit, strong as a young steer and able to outwork any man. Is she living a victimized or a triumphant life?
We see dignified Thurston Edwards, proud of his earthy occupation, and little Harry Clough's bewildered first steps toward understanding matters sexual. Then young Clyde Stuart is caught in an unenviable predicament as he faces his first public appearance.
These are some of the folks from Greeley's Mill, time-lifted from the 1930's. We also meet a cherished pig called Reginald and a nervous cow named Becky Bea. Our eyes widen at the elbow-nudging pranksters who let loose their elaborate practical jokes on gullible acquaintances.
There is helpfulness untainted by self-righteousness, curiosity softened
by acceptance, and a pulling together to make things right. The stories
in the last part of the book delight us with a variety just as excellently
crafted. Again the dialogue sparkles with the essence of its characters.
C.J. Stevens is a born storyteller of exceptional skill, and his people
do not leave us when we close the cover.
POEMS BY C.J.Stevens
Review commentary on the poetry of C.J. Stevens:
"His poems are serious, attentive gestures of care for other people or remembered experiences. He promises staying power." -- LIBRARY JOURNAL
"He can evoke another time and place with surprising immediacy and power." -- BOOKLIST
"His poems are fresh, richly imagined, and executed with economy and wit." -- MISSISSIPPI REVIEW
"One thing he does better than anyone else I know is incisive, sympathetic, moving portraits of persons outside of himself... He is a highly skilled craftsman, working with precision and accuracy." -- Ron Schreiber, MARGINS
"He has a penchant for catching the essence of a
character
from ordinary life, the very
ordinariness becoming a springboard for unique twists of
imagery.
He is able to pace his images with earthy conversational rhythms and
season
with a rueful wit." -- Barbara F. Lefcowits, POET LORE
"Page after page grab you where you live. He exhibits a sure mastery of style and subject." -- CANADIAN FORUM
"It is an engaging personality that speaks to us in these poems, a man whose sharp eyes pick out even the subtle differences a single line can make." -- Thomas Dillingham, OPEN PLACES
COLLECTED POEMS
His Sixth and Latest Collection!
ISBN# 1-882425-19-7 PaperbackSHEPHERD WITHOUT
SHEEP
88 pages -- His Fifth Collection
BEGINNINGS and other
poems
80 pages
CIRCLING AT THE CHAIN'S
LENGTH
77 pages
SELECTED POEMS
180 pages
HANG-UPS
86 pages
The artist who paints with words and composes with metaphors has a limited following. When a poet's mother tongue sounds harsh and strange to all beyond a country's narrow borders, the rest of the world is impoverished.
C. J. Stevens has gathered the works of a group of Dutch and Flemish poets, all highly regarded in their native land, and has poignantly unveiled their powerful form and brilliant imagery. His translations effortlessly mirror the core and scope of the original work. As we open the pages we are amazed that such fine poets of a concurrent culture have been strangers to us. But no longer.
This volume contains a range of varied and talented voices. It is an invitation to discovery, delight and recognition. A book to keep at hand.
"This book is fascinating for the range of poets that it
represents
as well as for the amount of control the translator clearly has over
his
materials. Good translations such as these will endure."
BOOKLIST
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