Monday, November 29, 2010

E-Book

No Fresh Cut Flowers 
an Afterlife Anthology

$9.99 E-Book & Soundtrack  

 
Save some trees and money by purchasing the electronic version of the book. After payment, you will get immediate download access to the soundtrack and book files.  Instant gratification :) 

Lots of love this holiday season,  
Rachel 

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Pictures from the Book Release Party















The release party was a huge success.  Byron Danziger and Nick Doniger read their poems to a captivated crowd and everyone had a fantastic night.  To the left, my sister Jen, me, book designer Tina Mingolello and Brian Lipofsky who took charge in reading submissions.  Thank you to all who came and to all who appeared in spirit. 

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Photo Illustrations from No Fresh Cut Flowers are available

Illustrating a book of poetry through photography was one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done.   In the beginning of the project I had expected to make drawings for each poem but when that started feeling forced, I switched to photographs.  A few of them had already been taken but most of them were inspired by the poems.  Thanks to the folks at The Owl Shop in New Haven I even had my first on-location photo shoot with a model.  Those photos, which feature Sarah Sartarelli, were inspired by Ariel Chance's poem "Black Ice."  Here are a few of the photographs from the book, though all of them can be viewed at my Print Shop.

Imagekind is having a Thanksgiving Day sale and offering 25% off everything- enter code GIVETHANKS at checkout.  This offer is valid until midnight 11/25.  Thanks in advance if you buy anything <3

Photo Illustration from No Fresh Cut Flowers by Rachel Andrews
Photo Illustration from No Fresh Cut Flowers by Rachel Andrews

Photo Illustration from No Fresh Cut Flowers by Rachel Andrews
Photo Illustration from No Fresh Cut Flowers by Rachel Andrews

Photo Illustration from No Fresh Cut Flowers by Rachel Andrews
Photo Illustration from No Fresh Cut Flowers by Rachel Andrews

Photo Illustration from No Fresh Cut Flowers by Rachel Andrews
Photo Illustration from No Fresh Cut Flowers by Rachel Andrews

Featured Poet: Greta Bolger



Greta Bolger's poem "The Vodou Afterlife" is published in No Fresh Cut Flowers, an Afterlife Anthology.  I asked her what inspired the poem and this is what she said:

"This poem came about at the intersection of my passions and obsessions: the often unbelievable cruelty of life, the total unknowability of death, and our fundamental need to believe that there is someone who cares about us out there somewhere. When, in early 2010, I heard the coverage of Haiti's earthquake on NPR (another passion), I was inspired to do further research into the beliefs of Vodouisants in Haiti and to imagine how desperately they must pray for relief from the calamities that continue to beset their country, how abandoned they must feel in this life, and how ready to welcome the next. Though most of us will never experience anything remotely as horrific as the people of Haiti have, I hope the poem conveys compassion for the inevitable physical and spiritual suffering of this life and hope for a better deal in the afterlife."

The Vodou Afterlife

If we believed, as NPR says the Haitians do,
in 16 reincarnations, half as men,
half as women, with a year and a day
in "the water" between each,
we could live for 800 years,

give or take, with a different body
each time, so that even when earthquakes
come, and hurricanes, and heart attacks,
even when help is hard to come by,
there is always next time, another chance

to hear what the rocks say, sense how the trees feel,
to learn again what the animals know.
Vodouisants are smart enough to know
that their big guy god, Bondye, is far distant
from creation, and cannot be held accountable,

so they send their prayers to the loa,
lesser spirits, like Papa Legba,
the guardian of the crossroads,
Erzulie Freda, the spirit of love, Simbi,
the spirit of rain and magicians,

Guede, the guardian of death.
They don't stick pins, not anymore, but
make fake people out of discarded shoes
and nail them on trees near the cemetery,
messengers to the otherworld, to say hello,

maybe, or help us out with these hurricanes,
or send us some rain in this unbreathable heat,
or give us strong magic, or to scream enough
with the crossroads already, we're already dead.
Send water, Erzulie Freda. Send shovels.


Greta's contributor's note for No Fresh Cut Flowers is located on the Poet's page of this blog.  To order a copy of the book, go here.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

No Fresh Cut Flowers, An Afterlife Anthology now on Amazon

 Click on the cover picture for the link

The book is available now on Amazon.com.   Wooohoo!  I've heard great things from the poets involved and also those who have purchased the book already.  The soundtrack, which is included with the book, has also had some excellent feedback.  I hope you love it!  For more info about the contributors, their bios are available on the poet and musician pages.