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Book details

  • Genre:poetry
  • Sub-genre:American / General
  • Language:English
  • Pages:172
  • Paperback ISBN:9781543988482

How To Live With What You Know

By Peter Valentyne

Overview

Poetry that addresses the conundrum of identity, with special emphasis on the spiritual and metaphysical aspects, as well as a surrealistic meditation on man's ability to dream. 

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Description

Poetry that addresses the metaphysical and spiritual nature of being human, as well as a meditation on purposes of and for dreaming. "My dream-life is ungovernable and disproportionally epic. Poetry is its native tongue. As a lucid dreamer, I carry no sword or compass to navigate the inner world. Dreams de-throne the mind and are by nature subversive. If the mind goes about daily pretending to be us, then poetics is the key in the hand of the mouth of my own errant yet essential knight."

~Peter Valentyne

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About The Author

Peter Valentyne was awarded the prestigious Atlantic Monthly prize for poetry. His poems have appeared in various publications including: The Red Cedar Review and SUFI Journal, as well as the on-line Alchemy Lab. Mr. Valentyne is also a playwright whose plays include: The Unimagined Bridge, The Fortuneteller's Nostalgia, Candidates for God, The Aluminum Garden, Prater at Lethe, The Logic of Solids and Trusting Mr. Universe; all produced by Sage Theatre Company on Theatre Row. Peter has been an initiated Dervish in the Nimatullahi order of Sufis since 2012 and currently resides in Hell's Kitchen in NYC. "In How to Learn to Live With What You Know, the dream rides shotgun with wakefulness and the reader finds a poet who embraces the paradox of identity as constructed by the rational mind conjoined with the self as a murmuration of shadows, untethered by reason and breaking mirrors at will. With dexterous language, Peter Valentyne evokes what comes of grappling with a mystery that at once confounds and thrills us, and because he has invited us into his poems, we are vividly reminded of our own contention with the riddle of being." ~Deirdre Jacobson, Award Winning Poet & Author
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Book Reviews

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Barnet
How To Live With What You Know Having never been an avid reader of Poetry, I wasn't sure what to expect when this collection appeared! I usually found most to be self indulgent or pretentious, never finding any that spoke to me. Mr. Valentyne's work is something i couldn't imagine in my wildest dreams!! But he did in his and i've been moved to tears and exhilarated. After several readings, I still can't find a favorite. The writing here is exquisite, illuminating, inspirational and moving. Peter Valentyne has given us a gem to treasure. It is a must have!! I'm looking forward to much more! Read more
David
A Wonderful Poetic Collection Peter Valentyne's poetic voice is a profound and revelatory treasure of dream and waking ruminations on life and living. His poetry stimulates the reader to examine his own being and offers continuing pleasures with each re-reading. A wonderful and rewarding collection indeed. Read more
Melanie
Deep and Insightful Layers of thought-provoking, deep, insightful and philosophical poetry ! A must read ! Read more
Peter
First Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reviewed By: Reviewed By Amy Raines for Readers’ Favorite Through times that make one question life and its very being and thoughts of knowing love when we feel like the unlovable, Peter Valentyne has put these moments of emotion into clarity in his poetry in How To Live With What You Know. Moments of questioning God, Earth, love, prosperity, and joy in the face of life’s trials can hold much more than their supposed final decree. Does life have to remain sinister when certain events shake us to our core? Can we find purpose and meaning in the depths of life’s greatest questions? Can we cope with the unanswerable riddles without coming undone? With living comes wisdom but sometimes that wisdom is hidden; we have to look past simple events to find out what we really know about living. The poetry in How To Live With What You Know by Peter Valentyne will make the reader ask and answer questions that lead to more profound reasoning about life and existence. I love the straightforward way Valentyne writes his poems. There is no essential need for endless rhyme schemes or perfectly-sized stanzas when the words evoke deep and passionate emotions from the reader. I can honestly say Valentyne’s way of questioning the core of reality and existence is nothing like anything I have ever read. Among all of these brilliant poems, my absolute favorite is Everyday Life Of A Hand Mirror. The simple title betrays the deep resonating meaning of people getting so caught up in their own conceited view that they refuse to see what is happening in the world around them like zombies via reflection. I recommend How To Live With What You Know to anyone who loves poetry that resonates away from the cliche of rhyme and verse. I hope that Valentyne has many more collections of brilliant poetry to share with us in the future. Read more