Remember the first book you read with no pictures in it? This is not that. Author Michelle Garren Flye has penned poems about being a woman and lovingly illustrated each one. Divided into three sections (Dream, Fear and Hope) with the semi-epic poem '''The Death of a Thousand Cuts’ providing a bridge from Dream to Fear, Flye’s collection addresses what it is like to be a woman in today’s world. Flye invites you to come on a journey of self-discovery and remember what it was like to read a book with pictures.
PRAISE FOR UNSONG
UnSong by Michelle Garren Flye is a wicked-smart mash up of verse and graphic art. Early in the book, an elegy to Ruth Bader Ginsberg is paired with a portrait of a woman in a black dress, seen from behind, her arms raised as if to enthrall an unseen crowd. Later, a brilliant untitled haiku takes as its subject our ‘Covid Days.’ My favorite work in the book is a piece called River Bones: ‘... water rolls back to caress and cover the river’s bones with the touch of a lover ...’ Illustrated poetry books are hard to get right. UnSong nails it, the book rising above any limitations of the format. Buy this book!
—Dennis Mahagin, author of Grand Mal, and Longshot & Ghazal
In UnSong, Michelle Garren Flye’s poems invite the reader to take a pause from the busyness and stress of modern life. In ‘River Bones,’ ‘time comes to a halt’ after the wind uncovers ‘forgotten memories, a bucket, a plate, / a fishhook left on the line too late.’ While in ‘Everything Grows,’ Flye invokes Shakespeare’s famous line from Sonnet #15: ‘When I consider everything that grows / holds in perfection but a little moment,’ in order to express how hard it is to make time stand still: ‘Everything grows, everything rushes into the night.’ Other poems reveal Flye’s sharp sense of humor (‘What Good is a Girl?’) and wonder of the natural world such as in ‘I’m a December Tree’ and ‘Now That I Am in Mid-Fall.’ … As an added treat, Flye’s poems are paired with her own illustrations. Savor this collection written by a romantic, and experience the wonder of reading joyful and optimistic poems—a true balm in these troubled times.
—Alice Osborn, author of Heroes without Capes
Unsong is a bit like a buffet with nuggets of wisdom you can choose to embrace until it fills your soul. Wonderful nibbles of hope that you will return to when you need a dash of light to repel the darkness.
''Sam Love, author of Awakening: Musings on Planetary Survival
UnSong is a beautiful compilation with an amazing amount of breadth and variety. Ms. Flye is literally a song writer! I particularly enjoyed the themes of "staying" and "taking flight".
—Tracie Barton-Barrett, author of Buried Deep in Our Hearts and Finding Her Spirit
Ms. Flye’s personality shines brightly through both her poetry and her illustrations. A lovely and relevant book to behold!
—Leslie Tall Manning, award-winning author of Knock on Wood and Upside Down in a Laura Ingalls Town
Michelle Garren Flye’s poetry, art, and photography excite my senses and touch my heart. Oh, what a talent!
—Padgett Gerler, author of Invisible Girl and The Gifts of Pelican Isle
PRAISE FOR UNSONG
UnSong by Michelle Garren Flye is a wicked-smart mash up of verse and graphic art. Early in the book, an elegy to Ruth Bader Ginsberg is paired with a portrait of a woman in a black dress, seen from behind, her arms raised as if to enthrall an unseen crowd. Later, a brilliant untitled haiku takes as its subject our ‘Covid Days.’ My favorite work in the book is a piece called River Bones: ‘... water rolls back to caress and cover the river’s bones with the touch of a lover ...’ Illustrated poetry books are hard to get right. UnSong nails it, the book rising above any limitations of the format. Buy this book!
—Dennis Mahagin, author of Grand Mal, and Longshot & Ghazal
In UnSong, Michelle Garren Flye’s poems invite the reader to take a pause from the busyness and stress of modern life. In ‘River Bones,’ ‘time comes to a halt’ after the wind uncovers ‘forgotten memories, a bucket, a plate, / a fishhook left on the line too late.’ While in ‘Everything Grows,’ Flye invokes Shakespeare’s famous line from Sonnet #15: ‘When I consider everything that grows / holds in perfection but a little moment,’ in order to express how hard it is to make time stand still: ‘Everything grows, everything rushes into the night.’ Other poems reveal Flye’s sharp sense of humor (‘What Good is a Girl?’) and wonder of the natural world such as in ‘I’m a December Tree’ and ‘Now That I Am in Mid-Fall.’ … As an added treat, Flye’s poems are paired with her own illustrations. Savor this collection written by a romantic, and experience the wonder of reading joyful and optimistic poems—a true balm in these troubled times.
—Alice Osborn, author of Heroes without Capes
Unsong is a bit like a buffet with nuggets of wisdom you can choose to embrace until it fills your soul. Wonderful nibbles of hope that you will return to when you need a dash of light to repel the darkness.
''Sam Love, author of Awakening: Musings on Planetary Survival
UnSong is a beautiful compilation with an amazing amount of breadth and variety. Ms. Flye is literally a song writer! I particularly enjoyed the themes of "staying" and "taking flight".
—Tracie Barton-Barrett, author of Buried Deep in Our Hearts and Finding Her Spirit
Ms. Flye’s personality shines brightly through both her poetry and her illustrations. A lovely and relevant book to behold!
—Leslie Tall Manning, award-winning author of Knock on Wood and Upside Down in a Laura Ingalls Town
Michelle Garren Flye’s poetry, art, and photography excite my senses and touch my heart. Oh, what a talent!
—Padgett Gerler, author of Invisible Girl and The Gifts of Pelican Isle
Used availability for Michelle Garren Flye's UnSong