This is to thank writer and poet, Michael Escoubas, for his thoughtful review of my book, Esemplastic--Many and One.
I am always interested to hear which aspects of my work resonate with people. When I found out that a lovely gentleman whose poetry I admire, would be writing a review of my book, I became immediately curious about two things: 1. Would he have anything to say about the book's title? and 2. Which poems would he choose to discuss?
Fortunately, the answer to my first question was yes. It was a risk to choose an obscure word made up in the 1700's by an old English guy for a book title. But Esemplastic is about the many things that come together to form identity, and like Samuel Coleridge felt back in the day when he conceived of this word (using Greek roots btw), I found other titles lacked the breadth I needed. I needed something that would encapsulate the whole of my manuscript in all its disjointed glory. I'm so happy (and relieved) that this word choice did not go unappreciated.
As for question number two, I was surprised that my TikTok poem was the first Michael referenced. No one has ever responded to that poem with more than a, "huh" and a nod of the head, even when I ask if they got the part about the bananas. It arose out of a frustrating observation, as many of my poems do.
I have had other career paths and hobbies before deciding to put all of my energy into writing poems and stories. It made sense to me to listen to advice telling me to brand myself. At the time, if someone looked up my name on google, one of the first things they'd see was a picture of me doing a cartwheel, which is mildly misleading. I am an attorney, but I also ran a hobby jewelry company, was a CrossFit/weightlifting coach, and do work for charity in Uganda. I decided I had to create a new social media presence and a website to tell the world that it was official. Karian Markos is a writer. But since none of that other stuff can be deleted, a more appropriate wording would probably be, Karian Markos is a writer, too.
Social media came at a cost outlined in the terms and conditions of my user agreement. As a result, companies like TikTok, Facebook, X, Instagram, and Google know more about me, and all of us who have gotten on the bandwagon, than we may care to acknowledge. They know about what we wear, what we eat, what places we like to visit, when we sleep, when we go to the bathroom, and even if we're pregnant (though sometimes it takes a while for the algorithm to learn we've had a miscarriage, but that's a story for another day). It's all about data and the monetization of the succulent meat between our ears. But not liking what they do and how they do it, and yielding to their power are two different things. I have succumbed to the beast for, among other things, the fluffing it does to the parts of my ego I have yet to erase.
What I appreciate most about Michael's comments is his recognition that my writing is grounded in the discovery of these truths and admissions. These are what keep my feet deeply rooted in, as he said it, terra firma.
I have a lot of fears. Here's the list in alphabetical order: acrophobia, aerophobia, bathophobia, claustrophobia, and odontophobia. But one thing I am not afraid of is writing about the occasional paradox, the invisible, the uncomfortable, the weird, the beautiful, and yes, the painful things I have seen and experienced. I do this with the hope that someone who needs to hear the message will share in the discovery and take comfort in knowing that they are not alone. I have found many such companions in the books I read.
Anyhow, I need to get back to the business of finishing my novel. I have a lot of work still to do if I am to finish it by March, so I will leave you to find out the rest of what Michael thought by reading his review on the Quill and Parchment website. http://quillandparchment.com/archives/Oct2024/book.html Hopefully, you will be inspired to purchase my book and discover what more lies between the covers, and to read more of the authors on their site.
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