Mice Verses Man

W.B. Burkholder's review of Mice Verses Man

2010-01-25T02:52:00.001-08:00

WB Burkholder from Troubadour21 magazine did a great review of my book recently. Thanks a lot Bill, I appreciate your words!

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As a contributing editor for Troubadour21, I have had the unique privilege of being able to read and comment on new works of poetry, art, music, and photography. I am constantly amazed at the well spring of talent that exists and continues to emerge on its pages.
One such talent that has come to light in recent months is that of R Jay Slais, author of Mice Verses Man. This collection of poetry is R Jay’s first undertaking and it comes to us in a finely crafted volume published by Big Table Publishing.
Within its forty pages we enter the world of a single father raising two teenage children, the mourning of lost moments, and lost loves. The reader finds themselves behind the eyes of this author and with him, they witness and re-experience the moments and cacophonic renderings of a single life lived, remembered, and conveyed through the voice of a seasoned, talented poet.
In some ways, the title of this volume is somewhat disarming; it does not prepare the reader for what they are about to experience within its pages. However the reader will not be disappointed.
From title cover to the back page the reader is given the gift of insight as well as reflection of one very talented poet. All too often, we tend to look past the greatest gifts that stand in front of us, those that become the most evident. Within the words of R Jay Slais and among the pages of Mice Verses Man these gifts abound in great numbers.
The voice of this poet sings the lamentations of typical man, the everyday man however, it comes to us in the form of a unique echo; one that resonates within us and only comes from the Poet, R Jay Slais. Yes there is the rendering of a man’s heartbreak, the conveyance of his tears upon the pages but also, the gift of hope and strength. This author has weathered these storms, and it is to the reader’s benefit, for what has come from his experiences has been conveyed to us in a superbly written collection of sights, sounds, all gifted to us through the passionate heartbeat of this poet.
Troubadour21 highly recommends Mice Verse Man and gives R Jay Slais and his first collection of poetry a T21 rating of five stars.
To obtain a copy of Mice Verses Man you can contact, www.bigtablepublishing.com or contact the author directly at Rjay61@comcast.net.
Mice Verses Man: ISBN 978-0-9842473-2-5 R Jay Slais

Review of MVM from Lanie Shanzyra Rebancos

2010-01-20T03:12:00.001-08:00

Lanie Shanzyra Rebancos posted a review of Mice Verses Man yesterday of her blog. Thanks so much Lanie! I am very honored by the words you have wrote and glad you enjoyed my work.

Here is her review copy/pasted:

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Mice Verses Man
By R Jay Slais
Big Table Publishing Company

One Of A Kind.

Mice Verses Man by R Jay Slais is one of the best poetry chapbooks I’ve ever read. As a poet myself, I can see and feel the emotions set on every word Mr. Slais put into his poetry. He pictures every poem with vivid images that you can actually feel and touch the person on it. Every poem written has its own life, breathing its own beauty from one page to another.

Some of my favorite poems are Nice Guys Always Finish, Middle of the Night We Weep, Love Solstice and The Search. Somehow in these selected poems, I can relate. There were incidences in my life that I saw it all happened again when I read these poems. It made me sigh and wonder how I was able to cope up with those things. Then the next thing I know, I’m reading his chapbook all over again.

The words used on his poetry are like songs entwined with magic. Mr. Slais proved his talents and magical charisma on his first chapbook of poetry. It is a magical journey, digging deep into the person’s emotions. Getting Mice Verses Man poetry chapbook is one of the best things you can do in your life-no regrets.

Mice Verses Man has arrived!

2010-01-12T18:50:00.001-08:00

This is the day we writers dream of I guess... the day your first book, a box full of them, arrives at your house. Very exciting!!!! Many Thanks to Robin at Big Table Publishing Company for working so very hard on my project to make the book stunningly beautiful and PERFECT. I am really proud of it!

It's printed on a cream colored cover stock and matching color page paper and it has a really beautiful charcoal inner liner with metalic flecks in the paper. The charcoal matches the border color on the cover... wow. The Highest quality work from this publisher!! THANKS again Robin. I hope I can sell a lot and re-order more soon.

Thanks to all who bought the book so far. You copies will be mailed right away!

Smiles!

Mice Verses Man is Released!

2010-01-07T03:42:00.000-08:00

Big Table Publishing has released my book today.

It's available for purchase from them (click the link on this page) or if you want a signed copy from me, click the Paypal button on this page on the right side.

Thanks for stopping in and thanks for reading too.

If you do not have Paypal and want a signed copy, email me at RJay61 at Comcast dot Net

Smiles!!
R Jay

More review excerps from the back cover

2010-01-05T15:27:00.000-08:00

Review exerpts:
these along with Steve's excerpt below will be on the back cover.

“R Jay Slais will turn your mouth into a harp, and with it you'll mourn what's lost always. Here are the deaths of children by disease and drugs, the destruction of a marriage, a world haunted by dead parents, and so much brutally more. At the same time, these poems resist despair, an...d that clash climaxes in exultant moments of lyrical trembling. It often begins so quietly, in close observations of the quotidian, the mundane, before spreading outward, quickly, in concentric circles soon to enclose you in their world. Such is the pleasure of Mice Verses Man.” - Seth Michelson, author of House in a Hurricane

“R Jay Slais is a dynamic poet, whose first collection, Mice Verses Man, is destined to fly from the shelves.” - W.B. Burkholder at Troubador21

Thanks a lot Bill and Seth...
I am humbled by your words

Galley

2009-12-14T16:21:00.000-08:00

So in my previous post, I had stated that the Galley was approved (I changed it now) but I was a bit off, it was only the Reviewer's Copy and the official Galley is now on it's way to me via US Postal. We are almost there. Robin says that one of the reviewers who was meant for the back cover had some personal issues and had to cancel his review promise so she has sent it one to another for help which has delayed things a bit, but oh well. She also suggested that it be a copyright 2010 so it will be fress for the new year even if it arrives a couple days before. Cool by me, great idea.

The editor of The Smoking Poet , Zinta Aistars has also said she will review it for me after it has been released, so I will gladly send her off a free copy for that after it's out. Thanks Z!! Oh ya, I have a poem in her just out Winter 2009-10 issue also. Have a look see/read.

Hope you all are ready for Christmas. It'll be here in a blink huh.
Smiles!!

Review Excerpt

2009-12-05T14:56:00.000-08:00

The publisher, Robin Stratton, shared one of the review excerps meant for the back cover of Mice Verses Man with me today. It's is from Steve Meador who has three fine poetry books out, all of which I own by the way, and also is the editor of the literary mag Hanging Moss Journal.

Here's his review. thanks Steve!

“R Jay Slais braids nature with humor and face-slapping reality that allows the reader to feel like a longtime friend. He is adept with language, structure and planting seeds of emotion, and one cannot help but feel lifted by 'January and all its newness is coming.'”
Steve Meador - author of Throwing Percy from the Cherry Tree

Reviewer's Copy approved

2009-11-22T14:05:00.000-08:00

During the past week, the publisher Robin and I echanged edits of the reviewer's copy several times and on Thursday, we finally agreed that it is approved, finished! Yay! It's getting exciting. There are a few really original things in the manuscript that I can't wait to see in print, very original.

She sent out the finished "Reviewers Copy" to several people to get the Except reviews for the back cover. One has been returned so we are awaiting a couple more to come back and then she will be sending it off to the printer.

Robin is a dream to work with, such a hard worker and very creative. I am feeling very fortunate to have the opportunity and pleasure of having Big Table Publishing do my first book.

Smiles!

Big Table Publishing

2009-11-14T03:27:00.000-08:00

Well, Robin at Big Table sent the galley to me a couple days ago. She works fast! Exciting stuff, everything looks great especially the cover. Kid1 is on the cover and Kid2 took the photo and worked some photoshopping magic to create the image that I wanted so he will get the cover photo credit for the book. I proofed the galley and sent it back to Robin yesterday for final editing.

All we are waiting on now before it goes to the printer is for the reviewers to return their reviews to use for the back cover. I think I am done with my work as far as the manuscript goes at least. Yay!!

Mice Verses Man is coming soon!!

Poetry Manuscript Accepted

2009-11-07T14:54:00.000-08:00

On October 27, 2009, my book manuscript titled Mice Verses Man was accepted for publication by Big Table Publishing Company in Boston, Massachusetts.

The book is forthcoming by the end of the year 2009.

Many thanks to the owner and Editor In Chief, Robin Stratton for accepting this project.

Much more to come!

Smiles!

R Jay Slais