Product Description: In 1880, George MacDonald, the Scottish poet, novelist and preacher, in the wake of the deaths of two of his children, published A Book of Strife in the Form of the Diary of an Old Soul . This book, which unites grief and hope in hard-won faith, contains a poem for every day of the year. In the first edition of this classic collection there was a blank page opposite each page of poems. Readers were invited to write their own reflections on the "white page." MacDonald wrote: "Let your white page be ground, my print be seed, growing to golden ears, that faith and hope may feed." _._._._ Betty Aberlin, a native New Yorker of Russian-Jewish ancestry, raised in post-Holocaust orthodox atheism and nurtured in the arts, responded to MacDonald's invitation with daily poems of her own. Following the strict poetic form of The Diary of an Old Soul was an illuminating experience. In her own 7-line, 3-rhyme, 10-syllable pattern, Aberlin created a unique mixture of recurring themes and images drawing from Judaism, Christianity and her experiences as an actress and artist. Her vision is fresh and honest, revealing a keen observation of nature and human nature, from the exhilarations of faith, hope and love to the despairs of war, rejection and failure. Aberlin opens a path into spiritual reflection for the thoughtful reader to follow. _._._._ Here are a few of the accolades for The White Page Poems: _._._._ "In this labor of love, Betty Aberlin's close readings of George MacDonald's verses, and her thoughtful responses to them speak clearly of her poetic gifts and spiritual intelligence." Luci Shaw, poet and author. _._._._ "An awesome collection and collaboration." Daniel Berrigan, SJ, poet-in-residence, Fordham University. _._._._ "A fascinating new book . . . fresh and incisive." Don King, author of C.S. Lewis, Poet.
Key Product Details Having just examined George MacDonald's Diary of and Old Soul alongside Betty Aberlin's White Page Poems, I feel confident to recommend it to any MacDonald fan as well as to any lover of higher poetry in general. The White Page Poems seem to be named after MacDonald's original design of his 1880 text, which kept the opposite page blank so that a reader may pen his or her meditations in reaction to each facing poem. Aberlin has taken MacDonald's advice and, like MacDonald, has opened her heart to the world. However, my purpose for writing this review is not to detail MacDonald's and Aberlin's skills as a poet, for there are several well-written reviews on this page which offer good light on the quality of these poems, but to briefly detail the quality of the physical condition of the text.
Zossima Press has produced an excellent product. Although I usually try to avoid paperback books when possible, this paperback book is well-made. The binding is tight and yet I am able to open the text wide without the fear of the spine cracking down the center. Likewise, the pages themselves are well-fastened to the spine and do not appear weak in any way. Nor is the paper of a grainy quality, which provides me the assurance that they will last many years to come. In other words, I am impressed.
I hope that my review has been helpful for you - Happy Shopping!
Poetic Dialogue Across the Years Hats off to Zossima Press for making this remarkable volume available. Printed on one side of the page are the 366 7-line poems written by influential author and poet George MacDonald and first published in 1880. He meant for these daily meditations to inspire a response in readers, and in this volume, we have the privilege of reading contemporary poet Betty K. Aberlin's replies on the other side of each page, also in the form of 7-line poems. Her poems are a fitting counterpoint to MacDonald's, and they bear witness to the timelessness of the natural and spiritual subjects on which he focused. Helpful endnotes round out this thought-provoking volume of intensely introspective and inspiring poems.
Another Old Soul Revealed! Betty Aberlin's poems touch on so many aspects of life based on her own experiences. In responding to George McDonalds words, she makes you feel what she feels and see what she sees! Which is why I enjoy reading the poems. She honestly reveals herself. In responding to George McDonalds poems, she took on a difficult, courageous task. How does one even begin to do that? Some how Betty found a way and poured her heart and soul into the poems.
This is how to engage literature! As publisher Robert Trexler notes in the introduction, "in the 1880 book the pages opposite the poems were intentionally left blank. MacDonald wrote a 'Dedication' encouraging his readers to write their own thoughts on the empty 'white page.'" But if you're like me, you're often left wondering exactly how to interact with great, life-changing literature. Or you're often inclined to let your eyes scan the page, taking in the story or the lines of poetry, without ever letting it sink in deep. So Zossima gives us both an example of how to interact with great literature and a way to gain a deeper reading of MacDonald's poetry by putting in the "white space" the world of Betty K. Aberlin, who responds to each of MacDonald's 366 7-line stanzas with poetry of her own. This is the kind of hard soul-work that'll change a person, moving literature from the realm of mere academic analysis into the realm of real life. I highly recommend Zossima's version of The Diary of an Old Soul with The White Page Poems. As it's only two 7-line stanzas per day, I may make this one a yearly read.
Inspired to write What a blessing to have discovered this book ! The poetry is placing such a desire in my own heart to begin creating my own poems. With highlighter in hand, I read through the first two months of their writings. On almost every page I marked lines that spoke to my heart from the 1800s or from writer Betty Aberlin.
I highly recommend this book. The poetry of George MacDonald and Betty Aberlin seem to awaken creative imagination. I am looking forward to reading their poetry, meditating on their thoughts, and then putting my own thoughts into verse.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
