Description
Poetry. David Lunde describes his new book as a collection of prose poems and flash fictions which explore the oddness and unpredictability of our lives and minds. A few pieces are based on overheard conversations, slightly edited, that seemed to expose the characters' being and future. Some pieces are based on actual people and events, such as the title piece, THE GRANDSON OF HEINRICH SCHLIEMANN & OTHER TRUTHS AND FICTIONS which presents a person, who, because his grandfather had found the fabled city of Troy after other archaeologists had concluded it was imaginary, now believes that anything he thinks is true will be true. Many pieces are purely imaginary but are based on quirks, obsessions and longings Lunde has observed in myself and others.
"This book of passionately odd short-short stories and prose poems are lyrical and strange, a sea-change of a book, with amazing observations, surprises at every page turn, and lines that tremble with beauty. It's a poet's take on story, a storyteller's answer to poetry.—"Jane Yolen
"Lunde's writing is always vivid and surprising. This is a book of pictures, without a single illustration."—Joe Haldeman
"David Lunde is a fascinatingly diverse writer. Already celebrated both for his Rhysling-winning science fiction poems and his translations of Chinese poetry, which garnered the prestigious PEN Award, he now highlights another aspect of his talent in this new collection of speculative sketches and prose poems. Vivid, insightful, at times humorous and at times lyrical, THE GRANDSON OF HEINRICH SCHLIEMANN & OTHER TRUTHS AND FICTIONS is certain to delight discerning readers everywhere."—Bruce Boston
"Tasty morsels, that's how I think of these short pieces Lunde proffers, and he serves them up in style. Each is just exquisite, the sort of prose that often is a total poem, the way a masterpiece of art sums up an idea or emotion perfectly. For instance, 'Symbionts' tells of a night blooming plant luring a moth to its bidding so that by morning, it has the gift of flight. A dash of Charles Simic, a touch of Tom Wiloch, and for me, perhaps a taste of Emily Dickinson-whether you agree or not, you'll find this collection is absolutely enchanting."—Marge Simon
Author Bio
David Lunde graduated from his post-graduate studies at the University of Iowa Writer's Workshop at the top of his class and received the Academy of American Poets Prize. He had been supporting himself and paying his tuition by inking charts and graphs of information received from instruments launched into space by JPL for Dr. James Van Allen, director of the Physics and Astronomy Department. Immediately after graduating, he was offered a teaching position in English and Creative Writing at the State University of New York at Fredonia, where he taught for 34 years. He is the author of nine books of poetry, which include ABSOLUTE ZERO (2018), THE GRANDSON OF HEINRICH SCHLIEMANN & OTHER TRUTHS AND FICTIONS (2014), INSTEAD (2007), and Blues for Port City (1995) from Mayapple Press, and co-translator of five collections of Chinese poetry, one of which won the PEN USA Translation Award. His poems have been published in 34 anthologies and in several hundred magazines.
Author City: North Bend, OR USA