The challenging literary journey taken by Ellery Littleton of writing a poem a day for a year has resulted in a remarkable series of concise poems which bring a penetrating zen-like awareness to the experiences of each day.
“Through the year,” Ellery Littleton writes, “I came to see that just below the level of daily awareness the magic realism of poetry flows along like a stream. I found that I could access it by consciously slowing down, opening to myself, meditating, in essence. And I learned in a new way what the abiding concerns and themes of my life are, the elements of my ‘personal myth’, as Jung called it.
“The process of looking for a poem subtly affected the way I would experience the day, and sharpened my perceptions. I would go looking for the memorable moment which could be transformed into a poem. At other times, something would trigger a memory and I would reach far back into my life to find a poem waiting to be transcribed in present time. As well as being a journal, this book is also something of an autobiography; the past is very present throughout.”
The novelist Janet Rice writes that “the interaction between a particular poem becomes a rite of passage from one stage of awareness of self to another, with the poem as the facilitator or guide during the process.”
“I found this observation to be true for me,” Ellery Littleton says. “The poems led the way; I followed along and did my best to write them down.”
Riverwalk includes 40 photographs, all but two of which were taken by the author.
“Through the year,” Ellery Littleton writes, “I came to see that just below the level of daily awareness the magic realism of poetry flows along like a stream. I found that I could access it by consciously slowing down, opening to myself, meditating, in essence. And I learned in a new way what the abiding concerns and themes of my life are, the elements of my ‘personal myth’, as Jung called it.
“The process of looking for a poem subtly affected the way I would experience the day, and sharpened my perceptions. I would go looking for the memorable moment which could be transformed into a poem. At other times, something would trigger a memory and I would reach far back into my life to find a poem waiting to be transcribed in present time. As well as being a journal, this book is also something of an autobiography; the past is very present throughout.”
The novelist Janet Rice writes that “the interaction between a particular poem becomes a rite of passage from one stage of awareness of self to another, with the poem as the facilitator or guide during the process.”
“I found this observation to be true for me,” Ellery Littleton says. “The poems led the way; I followed along and did my best to write them down.”
Riverwalk includes 40 photographs, all but two of which were taken by the author.