Corner of My Mind

Corner of My Mind contains perhaps the most personal of Jim Freeman's poems. "I'd like to know you naked, so I could better understand you dressed / Clothes get between us, hiding what's behind your eyes and mine," he says in a poem named Tulsa. These lines perfectly reflect the tone of a collection that exposes the writer's mind, revealing far more than nakedness could. Freeman's love poems are lyrical without the sugar coating. They honestly look at love as a permeating force in relationships with women, friends, or his favorite city. Prague provides more than the backdrop to his writing and a chance to explore the lives of strangers, as in Guardianship, where we observe an elderly couple on a tram. The cobblestone streets of this ancient city are a physical manifestation of probing the quiet and secret corners of one's own mind. Several poems mark the complicated beginnings of Freeman's relationship with his wife Michaela, then still "dancing to womanhood". His words "It might be a journey longer than I knew" in Flowered Fields seem almost prophetic as the free-thinking muse who possesses "an ancient spirit" became his companion over the past two decades. Corner of My Mind provides an intimate look at the motivations and habits of a writer, at friendships, past loves that never fade, life in an expat community and connections to people across continents and time zones. "There's a corner of my mind you own" the opening line of the title poem suggests your invitation to a shared journey.

Corner of My Mind contains perhaps the most personal of Jim Freeman's poems. "I'd like to know you naked, so I could better understand you dressed / Clothes get between us, hiding what's behind your eyes and mine," he says in a poem named Tulsa. These lines perfectly reflect the tone of a collection that exposes the writer's mind, revealing far more than nakedness could. Freeman's love poems are lyrical without the sugar coating. They honestly look at love as a permeating force in relationships with women, friends, or his favorite city. Prague provides more than the backdrop to his writing and a chance to explore the lives of strangers, as in Guardianship, where we observe an elderly couple on a tram. The cobblestone streets of this ancient city are a physical manifestation of probing the quiet and secret corners of one's own mind. Several poems mark the complicated beginnings of Freeman's relationship with his wife Michaela, then still "dancing to womanhood". His words "It might be a journey longer than I knew" in Flowered Fields seem almost prophetic as the free-thinking muse who possesses "an ancient spirit" became his companion over the past two decades. Corner of My Mind provides an intimate look at the motivations and habits of a writer, at friendships, past loves that never fade, life in an expat community and connections to people across continents and time zones. "There's a corner of my mind you own" the opening line of the title poem suggests your invitation to a shared journey.

Jim Freeman's book portfolio includes: NOVELS * EVOKE – exploring the societal effects of technology in a fictional context of the near future * Letters from Ceilia – an intimate story of a career woman's struggle in a world run largely by men * The Island – situated in duck-hunting country where two strong men clash in a conflict over land NON-FICTION * The Dark Side of the Moon – five books of political and social commentary on America's recent history * Dick Cheney's Fingerprints – a collection of observations focusing on the Iraq war and its origins POETRY COLLECTIONS * The Smell of Tweed and Tobacco – poems spanning relationships and life in Prague * Corner of My Mind – a more introspective collection also discussing the writing process * Broken Pieces – a mosaic of reflections about nature, hunting, travel, politics and life DRAMA * The Island – a screenplay based on the novel * Colors – a one-act stage play, winner of 1999 Pennsylvania Playhouse competition Jim Freeman was born in Evanston, Illinois and now lives and writes in Prague. His work has been published in a number of newspapers, magazines and anthologies.