T. Collection cover update

After showing the draft of the cover on a glossy white background, the feedback I received was that it needed some color and possibly some marbling.  So, I am working on it.  Really stretching my limited capabilities here.

Sharing this work in progress:

Progress Update - T. Collection

The T. Collection is getting close to being ready for publication.  The formatting was a challenge, but not as bad as I thought it would be.  I just need to do one more thing and add the info to the interior of the book.  I have designed a book cover that I am happy with and finally decided to only put lyrics inspired by T. on the back cover.  My cousin,Ciba, wrote the music and recorded a demo version of it.  I will share it when the book actually comes out.

Sharing the book cover - what do you think?  I am trying to keep it simple.

The cover background color should be white - I don't know why it scanned in as a grayed beige.  The paper it is on is white with dark purple lettering. Things that make you go hmmmmm.....

Project Priority - The T. Collection

I have decided to make the 'T. Collection - A Retrospective' project a priority above the 'Shadows on the Carpet' at this time.  I have been sitting on the 15 poems in this series for a long time looking for someone to illustrate it for next to zero money as I have been on a shoestring budget and my efforts to raise money via Fund Anything for 'Shadows' fell flat. 

I am tapping into my own creativity and creating 'photo art' to go with the poems because I have specific images in mind to go with most of the poems.  My writers' group authors are using Create Space (Amazon)  to self publish their novels and have encouraged me to use that resource as well.  I don't know how well it will work for poetry, but they do mention poetry in their publishing info and images as well.

Soooo..........  let me share 'Marigolds' with you now.  There is an audio version of it as well for those that are interested - link provided - click here

MARIGOLDS

photo art by AVR

When I see marigolds

I remember the time

We strolled down the alley

Hand in hand

Stopping to kiss

You stooped down

Picked some marigolds

Gave them to me

A sign of your love

And then I get

A flashback

Of the pain

On your face

As I walked

Out of your life

Not knowing then

It would be forever

Puppy Love - The Camp Series

Puppy Love is one of 2 new poems I wrote today to add to my camp series of poems and I have 3 more in the works. I had previously written 15 poems (6 in 2006 and 9 in 2010) that are part of The Camp Series. I have written these poems in the third person - the adult me looking back at me, the child.

The Camp Series was written about my experiences at Camp Hostýn in 1961 & 1962.  Camp Hostýn was about 50 miles outside of Montreal – the closest town was St. Calixte du Nord.  It was founded in 1954 by Father Bohuslav Janicek, a Czech Jesuit, for children of Czech and Slovak descent.  I almost didn’t get to go to camp in 1961 as I tried to swing on a clothesline and cracked my collarbone a few weeks before we (my younger brother and I) took Greyhound buses from Chicago to Montreal. 

The very first ‘publication’ of my poetry was in the official camp ‘pamphlet’ in 1962 (I was 11 and the poems were in Czech).  Both of the poems was republished in the 1979 25^th anniversary issue. 

Puppy Love

One of the

Older girls

photo art by AVR

Would take her

When she went

To meet with

Her boyfriend

And he would

Take Peter

And so these

Ten year olds

Chaperoned

The two teens

On their walks

On the path

Through the woods

Laughing and

Talking and

Holding hands

Peter let

Her wear his

Cap for that

Whole summer

And made her

Believe that

He liked her

Her first crush

First love at

Camp Hostyn

Summer of

Sixty-one

© Alice Vedral Rivera – 9/1/2013 6:15pm