Louis Armstrong said it, Marijuana is an assistant, a friend. These poems riff off that theme, a fifty-year-long set of improv-collaborations between two old friends, Miss Mary Jane and her man, Sam.Poems too of a classicist, on familiar terms with Sappho, Archilochus, Horace, Socrates -- regulars in the audience along with Miles, Billy, Bessie, Woody -- hard listeners for poems that are bluesy, bopsy, beat, Whitmanesque, funny, generous, passionately committed, intellectually rigorous, sometimes savage -- poems that swing hard, come on hard, poems from Brooklyn, America, Greece, London -- in-your-face poems. And always poems composed not in the head but on the breath. Poems that can only -- the author insists -- be read aloud.The goal is to perfect the world, to sing the golden age into America, an absurd goal, but only by constantly risking absurdity can we become human.

The classroom of life is always in session. Some folks just have a gift of observing, learning, and expressing the many lessons taught that seem to escape most of us. In these writings, the opportunity to capture many of our own previously overlooked blessings and would-be cherished memories will become evident to the reader, as Bills thoughtful insights of his life experience are shared. Faith, hope, and love are undeniably expressed in this collection of life lessons well learned. Danny Jones, President, Superior Livestock Auction In this collection of poems spanning more than fifty years, poet Bill Stoner gets personal. He invites you to come along on a journey through his lifeto participate in both happy and sad times, to laugh and cry with him. He allows you to see inside his soul, which radiates a deep faith and trust in God no matter what comes his way. Bill takes you to the farm, on a cruise ship, and to the basement of his parents home where all thirty-six of his family members share a bountiful meal and celebrate Christmas in the truest sense. His poems provide insight and wisdom to help you navigate through tough times. They encourage you to help others who may follow in your footsteps even though youre not aware of it at the time. And they help you understand how trials can be stepping stones. His love poems to his wife, Joy, will bring a smile to your face and admiration for a love that has endured for more than half a century.

Pothead personifies the broken American dream; illustrating the consequences with a rhyming theme, featuring fluorescent lights, constant flight, and multiple sights, Pothead as a poem is intended to satisfy and delight your reading appetite.

Diversity and "perspective by incongruity" dene the approach to changing times in this fourth volume of the First of the Year series. Insights come from interesting minds in unobvious juxtapositions. First's roster of irreverent and holy! regulars includes Amiri Baraka, Bernard Avishai, Uri Avnery, Chuck D, Diane di Prima, Fr. Rick Frechette, Donna Gaines, Lawrence Goodwyn, Roxane Johnson, W.T. Lhamon Jr., Philip Levine, Kanan Makiya, Bongani Madondo, Greil Marcus, Charles O'Brien, Judy Oppenheimer, Tom Smucker, Fredric Smoler, A.B. Spellman, Scott Spencer, Robert Farris Thompson, Richard Torres, David Waldstreicher, and Armond White.Their angles on history and history in the making are enhanced by contributions from new members of First's family of defamiliarizers such as Peter Brown, Wesley Brown, Mark Dudzic, Robert Hullot-Kentor, and Aram Saroyan.Perspectives by Incongruity touches down in Kashmir, Haiti, South Africa, and Indonesia. There's a vital section devoted to the Arab Spring. But the volume homes in on the U.S.A. as well, digging into race and class structures of feeling (and fantasy). It means to comprehend the Obama era in real time. Music is key to Perspectives by Incongruity's offbeat truth-telling. Contributors sound off on Jay Z and Kanye West, mambo and Afropop, Dylan and Coltrane, Sun Ra and Arcade Fire. First's meaning is (as ever) in the mix.

A poignantly funny account of renowned writer and humorist Neal Pollack's years as a marijuana addict. Beginning innocently enough in his 20s, Neal Pollack discovers that pot makes everything—food, music, sex—better. Getting married, having a kid, and enjoying professional success do nothing to dampen Pollack's enthusiasm for getting high. As cannabis grows stronger and more widely available, the expansion and acceptance of marijuana Big Business shadows Pollack's dependence. By 2014, Neal is a correspondent for a national marijuana newspaper, mostly because it means free pot. Diving into the wild, wicked world of weed with both lungs, Pollack proceeds to smoke, vape, and eat his way to oblivion, leading to public meltdowns and other embarrassing behavior. After his mother dies in 2017, he spirals out of control, finally hitting bottom during a reckless two-day gambling and drug-filled binge, culminating in a public crack-up at the World Series in Dodger Stadium. Three weeks later, he quits. After joining a twelve-step program, Neal outs himself as a marijuana addict in a 2018 New York Times op-ed piece, leading to his decision to document his experience as a cautionary tale for the millions of recreational users in the hazy age of legalized weed.