My Life in Metaphor

by Joseph Baldi Acosta

Formats

Softcover

$14.95

Hardcover

$23.99

E-Book

$3.99

Softcover

$14.95

Book Details

Language : English

Publication Date : 11/1/2013

Format : Softcover

Dimensions : 6x9

Page Count : 108

ISBN : 9781491820551

Format : Hardcover

Dimensions : 6x9

Page Count : 108

ISBN : 9781491820544

Format : E-Book

Dimensions : N/A

Page Count : 108

ISBN : 9781491820568

About the Book

Dear Reader: Welcome to My Life in Metaphor, one man’s life experiences and views of life, death, and everything in between. My writing reflects growing up a part of two distinct, rich cultures; training as a scientist and public health professional; work and residence in three foreign countries – Brazil, Jordan and Ecuador; a love of nature; and, great respect for our country, but concern about a decline in our nation’s values – the growing hostility and intolerance, technology as a substitute for direct human contact, and excessive violence. I hope you will enjoy my poetry, find it interesting and thought-provoking. Sincerely, Joseph Baldi Acosta

About the Author

Editorial Reviews

Accessible and personal, Joseph Baldi Acosta uses words like a painter uses paint, filling out images and ideas.

asirvilla
Poet Joseph Baldi Acosta is a master of juxtaposition. Time and again in his debut collection, My Life in Metaphor, he uses images-never taking for granted the placement of each word-to get to the core of his themes, whether he's addressing a PBS documentary about Kenyan farmers or confronting his own mortality. It comes as no surprise that he has published in literary magazines like The Sligo Journal, won the Ventura Valdez English Poetry Award twice, and been a finalist for the ArLiJo Poetry Award. Acosta's most accessible pieces are those that are the most personal. "Sounds" is a brief love poem that describes "the sound of night"-the wind in the trees, falling rain, a churning creek, and the noise of his loved one breathing, "as I lie / next to you, / sweetest of all." In "Six-Point Buck," Acosta describes in tense, energetic language the act of, and remorse he feels over, hitting a deer with his car, lamenting both the immediate tragedy and his "run, run, run, do, do, do, cram full every day" lifestyle that has led to the unfortunate moment. The book's design and packaging reflect the high quality of the poems it contains. The cover art depicts two lanes of a highway through a desert landscape, echoing on many levels the poet's literal and symbolic journey through life and writing. It also reflects some of his favorite themes-world travel, social issues, and cultural exploration.

asirvilla
Some of the poems are accompanied by black-and-white illustrations (credited to Thinkstock in the front matter). For example, "The Route" begins with a picture of a mourning cloak butterfly. The poem juxtaposes two universes-a caterpillar's cocoon with a boy's paper route. Each uses what they have-a chrysalis for one, an entrepreneurial endeavor for the other-to transform. The illustration isn't really necessary. In fact, it's a bit confusing when the dominant imagery is of the boy's world-the paper route, the neighborhoods he traverses, his precocious business acumen. Overall, the poet succeeds when he simply uses words like a painter uses paint, filling out images and ideas without the need for extra cues. What is helpful are the occasional brief endnotes, denoted by asterisks after a poem's title or within the poem itself. These explain special terms, whom the work addresses, any accolades a poem has received, or if there's a particular inspiration behind the piece like another poet or work of art. These are a nice touch from a multicultural poet who grew up bilingual, speaking English and Spanish. He likely appreciates that a bit of interpretation enhances, or at the very least colors, for better or worse, a poem.

asirvilla
~ Olivia Boler, Clarion Review

asirvilla
Accessible and personal, Joseph Baldi Acosta uses words like a painter uses paint, filling out images and ideas.

asirvilla
Poet Joseph Baldi Acosta is a master of juxtaposition. Time and again in his debut collection, My Life in Metaphor, he uses images-never taking for granted the placement of each word-to get to the core of his themes, whether he's addressing a PBS documentary about Kenyan farmers or confronting his own mortality. It comes as no surprise that he has published in literary magazines like The Sligo Journal, won the Ventura Valdez English Poetry Award twice, and been a finalist for the ArLiJo Poetry Award. Acosta's most accessible pieces are those that are the most personal. "Sounds" is a brief love poem that describes "the sound of night"-the wind in the trees, falling rain, a churning creek, and the noise of his loved one breathing, "as I lie / next to you, / sweetest of all." In "Six-Point Buck," Acosta describes in tense, energetic language the act of, and remorse he feels over, hitting a deer with his car, lamenting both the immediate tragedy and his "run, run, run, do, do, do, cram full every day" lifestyle that has led to the unfortunate moment. The book's design and packaging reflect the high quality of the poems it contains. The cover art depicts two lanes of a highway through a desert landscape, echoing on many levels the poet's literal and symbolic journey through life and writing. It also reflects some of his favorite themes-world travel, social issues, and cultural exploration.

asirvilla
Some of the poems are accompanied by black-and-white illustrations (credited to Thinkstock in the front matter). For example, "The Route" begins with a picture of a mourning cloak butterfly. The poem juxtaposes two universes-a caterpillar's cocoon with a boy's paper route. Each uses what they have-a chrysalis for one, an entrepreneurial endeavor for the other-to transform. The illustration isn't really necessary. In fact, it's a bit confusing when the dominant imagery is of the boy's world-the paper route, the neighborhoods he traverses, his precocious business acumen. Overall, the poet succeeds when he simply uses words like a painter uses paint, filling out images and ideas without the need for extra cues. What is helpful are the occasional brief endnotes, denoted by asterisks after a poem's title or within the poem itself. These explain special terms, whom the work addresses, any accolades a poem has received, or if there's a particular inspiration behind the piece like another poet or work of art. These are a nice touch from a multicultural poet who grew up bilingual, speaking English and Spanish. He likely appreciates that a bit of interpretation enhances, or at the very least colors, for better or worse, a poem.

asirvilla
~ Olivia Boler, Clarion Review

asirvilla
Accessible and personal, Joseph Baldi Acosta uses words like a painter uses paint, filling out images and ideas.

asirvilla
Poet Joseph Baldi Acosta is a master of juxtaposition. Time and again in his debut collection, My Life in Metaphor, he uses images-never taking for granted the placement of each word-to get to the core of his themes, whether he's addressing a PBS documentary about Kenyan farmers or confronting his own mortality. It comes as no surprise that he has published in literary magazines like The Sligo Journal, won the Ventura Valdez English Poetry Award twice, and been a finalist for the ArLiJo Poetry Award. Acosta's most accessible pieces are those that are the most personal. "Sounds" is a brief love poem that describes "the sound of night"-the wind in the trees, falling rain, a churning creek, and the noise of his loved one breathing, "as I lie / next to you, / sweetest of all." In "Six-Point Buck," Acosta describes in tense, energetic language the act of, and remorse he feels over, hitting a deer with his car, lamenting both the immediate tragedy and his "run, run, run, do, do, do, cram full every day" lifestyle that has led to the unfortunate moment. The book's design and packaging reflect the high quality of the poems it contains. The cover art depicts two lanes of a highway through a desert landscape, echoing on many levels the poet's literal and symbolic journey through life and writing. It also reflects some of his favorite themes-world travel, social issues, and cultural exploration.

asirvilla
Some of the poems are accompanied by black-and-white illustrations (credited to Thinkstock in the front matter). For example, "The Route" begins with a picture of a mourning cloak butterfly. The poem juxtaposes two universes-a caterpillar's cocoon with a boy's paper route. Each uses what they have-a chrysalis for one, an entrepreneurial endeavor for the other-to transform. The illustration isn't really necessary. In fact, it's a bit confusing when the dominant imagery is of the boy's world-the paper route, the neighborhoods he traverses, his precocious business acumen. Overall, the poet succeeds when he simply uses words like a painter uses paint, filling out images and ideas without the need for extra cues. What is helpful are the occasional brief endnotes, denoted by asterisks after a poem's title or within the poem itself. These explain special terms, whom the work addresses, any accolades a poem has received, or if there's a particular inspiration behind the piece like another poet or work of art. These are a nice touch from a multicultural poet who grew up bilingual, speaking English and Spanish. He likely appreciates that a bit of interpretation enhances, or at the very least colors, for better or worse, a poem.

asirvilla
~ Olivia Boler, Clarion Review

asirvilla

Customer Reviews

"Poetry. Who needs it? Anyone who cares to shine a light into the darkness and examine what awaits. Baldi Acosta's poems are illuminating, timely, controversial...and beautiful. I highly recommend ""My Life in Metaphor"" as a candid and thought-provoking read."

Mary
"Poetry. Who needs it? Anyone who cares to shine a light into the darkness and examine what awaits. Baldi Acosta's poems are illuminating, timely, controversial...and beautiful. I highly recommend ""My Life in Metaphor"" as a candid and thought-provoking read."

Mary
"Poetry. Who needs it? Anyone who cares to shine a light into the darkness and examine what awaits. Baldi Acosta's poems are illuminating, timely, controversial...and beautiful. I highly recommend ""My Life in Metaphor"" as a candid and thought-provoking read."

Mary

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