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| When Morning Comes |
| The Secret Life Of Scrambled Eggs | | Talking With Stanley Kunitz | Breath-Life | | New York and African Tapestries | | Poetry Among The Flowers: Queens Meets Asia | | Celebrating a Tapestry of Life | Spanning The Years | | Wings Span to Eternity |
Reviews & Excerpts Small Press Review selected New York and African Tapestries as a favorite book for May/June 2007. Reviews: “Juanita Torrence-Thompson’s delightful collection is more than a
tapestry, it is a collection of tapestries. Juanita has stitched
together the times and the places of her life with people who share them with
her. The result is an heirloom of insight and image; a source of
wisdom, identity and especially of comfort. By her gratitude we all
become grateful.” “From New York to Uganda, England to China, Sydney to Africa,
Juanita Torrence-Thompson’s poems lead us on a mother-daughter
journey, each separately finding her own way in the world of women,
searching for the human sparks that unite us all. Issues tackled from
September 11 in New York to Peace Corps work with disadvantaged youth,
to the simple act of dancing with her husband.” “Juanita Torrence-Thompson carefully considers and perfectly shapes
her lines of verse. As a result, her poems are lucid and immediate. You
get a feeling of ‘Yes, I’ve been there; I’ve felt those things.’” “In Juanita Torrence-Thompson’s book, New York and African Tapestries,
the 9/11 poems reveal her nobility of character. I found the ‘Mother
You Knew How to Live’ poems to be tenderhearted and revealing of a
mother who had very special qualities for her daughter and for the
world at large. The mixture of enthusiasm for life, insight into human
foibles and strengths, and awareness of tragic conditions that exist
for some while others dance in a more utopian realm are her own unique
medley.” “Starting from the gorgeous cover photos by her,
this is a rich tapestry of New York life, rendered by an observant,
skillful, and compassionate poet. Juanita Torrence-Thompson possesses
the wisdom and sensibilities it takes to create poems that make us say,
“yes, that’s me!” Her work will lift your spirits!! She deserves to
sell a million copies.” Review Excerpt from Pedestal Magazine: “Teacher, editor and writer Juanita Torrence-Thompson has traveled widely, loved deeply and led an extraordinary life - a life from which the 84 poems in her fifth poetry collection, New York And African Tapestries, draw in startling, familiar detail…. The beauty of Torrence-Thompson’s poetry, however, is her ability to make experiences as diverse as traveling through a Moroccan market or walking down a crowded Manhattan street feel universal. She achieves this not by focusing on the grandiose and exotic, but on the small and human, on the peculiar observations and thoughts people can have, even in the most beautiful and unfamiliar surroundings. ‘During Sydney Olympics…’ focuses not on the pageantry of the event, but on a quirky souvenir the speaker has purchased… Even something as mundane as garbage disposal is not omitted, as in the humorous “They Must Have Trash in England.” “…the bulk of New York And African Tapestries centers on small moments in daily life: dancing with a spouse, attending the theater, meditating on the beauty of a steel bridge and caring for an ailing parent. Indeed, the work in ‘Tapestries’ 2nd section, “Mother You Knew How to Live,” details Torrence-Thompson’s close relationship with her mother, and her sorrow at her mother’s sickness and death. The poems in this section, most notably “A Note,” “Forgiveness,” “Ablutions,” “Climbing the Great Wall of China,” and “Waning Days” show Torrence-Thompson at her finest. …“The Necklace,” the second poem in this section, is the collection’s stand-out piece. Through the simple device of a handmade necklace, Torrence-Thompson creates a touching and universal commentary on the generosity of mothers, the innocent thoughtlessness of youth and the guilt adult children often feel when they recall their childhood behavior towards parents. It is a portrait to which almost anyone with positive memories of a parent can relate. The simplicity of language and image in poems like “The Necklace” is one of ‘Tapestries’ greatest strengths. Torrence-Thompson is a smart and compassionate poet with a keen
understanding not just of human frailty, but also of the joys which
make the human experience worthwhile. She also has a gentle sense of
humor, which she displays in poems such as “I Waved to an Angel”. Review Excerpt from Home News Tribune: “New York And African Tapestries is a very user-friendly collection of poems that the reader can use to travel the world. However, the poetry tourist doesn’t have to fear getting lost in a maze of foreign back alleys or a tangle of unfamiliar language. There is no jarring jargon here. Just the pure, passionate poetry of observation and reflection.” “Torrence-Thompson knows what to look for because she is a world traveler. Her poetry takes in Singapore, Australia, Morocco, Mexico and Switzerland.” “Wherever Torrence-Thompson goes she always finds poetry. On occasion, her verses may have the obvious charge of outraged social conscience, as in… ‘South African History: Lorna Style.’ “But in a different poem, her observations are spiced by “sauntering down Broadway/Pregnant with marquees” where in ‘Ode to Manhattan’ she can: “Wander into bookstores and libraries/and have a love affair between the pages/by traipsing to Madagascar or ride a camel/in Egyptian deserts or along the Arabian Sea/Or ride an elephant in India. Bask in the sun and sand/Or coast along California’s 17-Mile drive…” “The 84 poems in this 100-page collection display a sensitivity,
compassion and awareness worthy of all who call themselves poets…
Yet, in despite the obvious inequities and cruelties encountered in
this poetry, Torrence-Thompson still keeps a poets balance in an
unsteady world…” Review Excerpt from Art With Words: “More so than Torrence-Thompson’s other books this one took me longer to read. Not because it was more difficult to get through, but because of the emotional involvement she demands from her reader in this volume of poetry. New York And African Tapestries starts out with eleven poems on 9/11, each one powerful and heart wrenching. I believe Thompson sums up the devastation of 9/11 perfectly with the last three lines of her poem October 2001. “Life as we knew it / will never be the same again / Gone are the carefree days of America”. Although a somber way to start this book she moves immediately into Life In Queens, and several other poems which I read as a celebration of life and diversity. One thing you notice while reading any of Torrence-Thompson’s poetry is her attention to detail. I would have to say very little of the world around her escapes her attention. Details which are especially poignant in her travel poetry. Each of the four sections of poetry presented in this book offer
artfully constructed threads which weave the writer’s tapestries. I
believe, as in all of Torrence-Thompson’s books, this collection of “new
poems” offers something for everyone.” Excerpts from New York and African Tapestries By Juanita Torrence-Thompson (Fly By Night Press, A Gathering of the Tribes) SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
...It was too late for the brave firefighters and police WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE QUEENS BOROUGH BRIDGE ...You are taken for granted CLIMBING THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA There was a lull in the rain ...The first time I looked around ANTHONY PAISANO I have a crush ...I watch his face SPRING OF MY 13TH YEAR... ...I relaxed in her yellow Queen Anne chair HALF-PAST ZERO Drift softly, softly into the night I THINK I AM SOMEONE ...I think I am someone special NORTHWEST OF JOHANNESBURG After a breakfast DURING SYDNEY OLYMPICS... ...I lift an engraved 3-D lid THE RAINBOW MAKER One dismal, drizzly day the vibrant city into The National Gallery New York and African Tapestries poetry excerpts |
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