The Phone Poem Book

About the Book

Phone poems are concise, precise, and often humorous 4 line verses that were originally written for the telephone answering machine. Almost all the 350+ poems were inspired by occasions and incidents in the author's life, including, presumably, his encounters with angels, demons, spiders, beloved pets, dachshunds in particular, flowers, his wife's garden, clouds, super models, NPR, sun, moon, mosquitoes, stars, outer space, etc. They range from the wise and profound to the ordinary, homely, and downright goofy. They are frequently insightful and always fun.

About the Author

Professor Startzman earned a B.A. degree from Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio and an M.A. and Ph.D. (1970) from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. He has taught English and American literature, as well as numerous General Studies courses, at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky from 1967-2008. He received the Seabury Award for excellence in teaching in 1997. Professor Startzman is an avid reader and considers Dante, Shakespeare, Milton, Flannery O'Connor, J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis among his favorite authors and primary influences.