An African Journey and Other Poems - Softcover

If you have never been to Africa, take a tour with Mel Glenn. He guides us with poems about “how nature dwarfs us” in this incredible land with its variety of amazing animals and intriguing landscapes. He shows us elephants protecting their young, waterfalls that wash away our pretensions and vistas that expand our horizons. And we meet people, too, as they go about their difficult lives with hope and dignity. Seeing Africa through Mel Glenn's eyes is a chance to observe a different aspect of our world, and perhaps gain a new understanding of ourselves.
—Ferida Wolff, author
Mel Glenn continues to be one of the best poets working today, as he takes the heartbeat of America. We are in for a special treat when reading Mr. Glenn’s African collection of poems, An African Journey. He leaves his “sheltered cove” in Brooklyn and presents a continent which holds the majestic Victoria Falls, malls where they sell iPods and African walking sticks, and schools where students vie for an education despite difficult conditions. Then he chronicles daily life in Other Poems, covering Hispanic busboys, Russian waitresses, and couples breaking up in a Brooklyn diner. Take this journey with him.
—Philip Theibert, author
When Brooklyn poet Mel Glenn travels to Africa, he wants “his soul to be as deep as the rivers” that run across the continent. Glenn embarks, hoping to find the center of himself and discover the natural beauty of the landscape, the wilderness of jungle animals, as well as the contrast between wealth and poverty. At the heart of this collection is his response to students, studying in the classroom, kicking a soccer ball, all part of the magic of Africa. It is this magic that Glenn skillfully shares on each page with his readers.
—Bruce Black, Editorial Founder and Publisher of The Jewish Writing Project