Oakland University English professor Ed Haworth Hoeppner has been awarded the distinguished 2010 Ohio State University Press Award in Poetry, a national honor, which offers publication of his manuscript by The Ohio State University Press and a $3,000 prize.

  "I'll be 60 in the fall, and perhaps the news was sweeter for my having been at things as long as I have," said Hoeppner. 

  Since 1975, he has published nearly 300 poems and two collections of poetry, "Rain through High Windows," and "Ancestral Radio." 

  For more information, visit oakland.edu/english.

  — Staff writer Diana Dillaber Murray

> Berkley – Since regional art fairs are still in hibernation for the next couple of months, Yellow Door Art Market is jump starting the season with an Art Fair Fever Open House on Saturday, March 5 from 10-6.
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> Locals in need of an art injection will find a large variety of garden goods, photography, hip clothing & handbags, creative jewelry, pottery and sweet smelling soaps, candles and more. Many of the artists will be present to talk about their craft including Dena Gillespie of Clawson who creates cool wire sculptures. "It's nice to have an opportunity this time of year where I can craft one-of-a-kind personalized wire words for interested art lovers" says Gillespie.
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> In addition, Michigan authors will be signing copies of their books, including writer and photographer Pete Wurdock. His book, Places I Hide takes the reader on an intimate and bracing sojourn through the largely untrammeled beauty of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Peter will be available from 11am-1pm. Margaret Mason will also be debuting her latest release, These Hands which is about African Americans who worked at the Detroit Wonder Bread factory in the 1950's. Margaret will be present from 1-3pm.
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> Other festivities include free artist-made goodies with purchases over thirty dollars, fifteen percent off all items and Michigan made sips and snacks served throughout the day.

Award-winning Author Jennifer Natalya Fink is Back with Humor, Sex, and the Sacred in Thirteen Fugues

Seattle, WA, USA-May 03, 2011-Tanya Irene Schwartz is a 30-year-old Jewish-American woman whose intense caricatures and obsessions ruminate the themes in her life: Jewish law, pop culture, patriotism, world records, human oddities, hygiene, and her erotic relationship with her sister. The well-traveled territory of the relationships between little girls and adult men is visited but from the girl's perspective. Each fugue captures Tanya in the passion and confusion that marks every second of our journey from adolescence to adulthood. 

Traditional narrative breaks and speeds up to capture the intimacy of Tanya's inner speech, creating a collision between literary prose and internal monologue that pushes the boundaries of both confessional and literary language. Thirteen Fugues is funny, dark, innocent, and ruthless writing from a master iconoclast. Now available for review.
Jennifer Natalya Fink is the award-winning author of Burn, V, and The Mikvah Queen. She is the recipient of the Dana Award for the Novel, the Virginia Healey Award, as well as nominations for the National Book Award, and the National Jewish Book Award. She is assistant professor of English at Georgetown University and lives in Washington D.C.. For more visit jennifernfink.com.

"The Mikvah Queen is an intense meditation on the female body its contamination and purification, . . . a story of compelling friendship between a girl and a woman, a coming-of-age Jew and a facing-death WASP, as each meets the challenges of change," said Michael Lowenthal.
"With lyrical prose, vivid imagery, and brilliantly drawn characters, Jennifer Natalya Fink takes the reader on an unforgettable journey," said Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, author of Blood on the Border.

The Mikvah Queen (9/2010)- 978160864031 Thirteen Fugues - Jennifer Natalya Fink 
Release Date: May 03rd, 2011 
ISBN: 9780984428816 
Paperback 
5 " x 7"  
122 pp  
US $13.95; CAN $15.95 
Distributed by Ingram Publisher Services 

Author Launches First Book in a Men's Survival Series

 

Don't Give Up! is a book for men searching for

answers to their marital challenges. It's apractical guide to surviving and growing

through a marriage crisis. Inspired by the experiences of men in marital crises, Don't

Give Up! is not another book written by a psychologist or professional marriage

counselor. It draws on the first-hand experiences of men who have been to the edge and

survived.

 

Everywhere in America-from the historic hallways of Washington, D.C., to corporate

offices on Wall Street, to households in Small Town, Oregon-there are men struggling

to figure out what's gone wrong in their marriages. What happened to that glowing bride

who could hardly wait to start calling herself Mrs. Him? These men are discovering that

marriage does not just happen, but that it must be worked at, hard, every day. There is no

autopilot setting. They are more than a little stunned to find out there is much to learn

about women, themselves, and how to identify their purpose in life. They are irritated,

frustrated, angry, and generally unfulfilled in life. Unlike the vast majority of marriage

books, Don't Give Up! gives them permission to feel the pain and frustration in every

day life, with a plan for setting actions into motion that will help them grow in their

relationships -in their marriages and in all areas of life.

 

Don't Give Up! starts by helping the reader analyze the current state of his marriage and

then teaches him to sit down, listen, andhear his wife, even if he doesn't agree with her.

Until he honestly hears the problem from her point of view, he can't move forward. At

the same time he is striving to understand his wife better, the book encourages the reader

to begin taking baby steps of personal growth in his life. "Begin today," the book

challenges him. "Work through your anger, frustrations, and resentments, and discover a

healthier, more balanced godly life."

 

About the book:

Don't Give Up! Unexpected Answers to Marital Challenges, by Gary Hoffman

ISBN: 978-0984542109

Publisher: CreateSpace.com

Date of publish: December 2010

Pages: 150

S.R.P.: $12.98

 

About the author:

Gary Hoffman is a marital crisis survivor and leader of the Men On The Edge Ministry at

Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. Out of the ashes of his own marital

struggle in 1994, he discovered his life purpose-to educate and mentor men across the

nation who are struggling to understand their role as husbands. For nearly 20 years he has

been leading men's groups of various kinds. Additionally, Hoffman authored Sixteen

Basic Principles for a Separated Man in Marital Crisis, and is publishing Leadership

Secrets to Success for Small Group Leadership-ninety-five suggestions on how to lead,

guide, and grow a ministry team or small group in a healthy manner, available in the

spring of 2011. Gary Hoffman currently speaks at retreats and mentors men in a weekly

support group format at Saddleback Church using material contained in Don't Give Up!

 

I Do, Part 2 ... and you can have a good relationship with your ex too!

Rochester Hills mom Karen Buscemi is launching her second book on divorce, I Do, Part Two: How to Survive Divorce, Co-Parent Your Kids and Blend Your Families Without Losing your Mind  on Valentine's Day. 

She chose this release date as she firmly believes that divorced parents who remain civil, work together and avoid bad-mouthing each other are truly showing how much they love their kids.

Buscemi, who has two sons aged 13 and 3, argues that one big happy family — even when that family includes exes, new spouses and multiple kids — can really be a joy. Apart from practical advice on forging a custody agreement both exes can agree on and ensuring consistent parenting styles, Buscemi's book addresses the new reality of life after divorce. She provides information on jumping back into the dating scene, new love and your kid and keeping jealousy to yourself. 

And when it comes to welcoming the new wife or husband, instead of making a negative comment about your exes new partner not interfering, and now having to battle two people instead of one, her advice is to roll out the welcome mat. "Be nice. Smile, shake hands, say, 'Pleased to meet you,' even if you're not," she writes. 

"My hope is for people going through divorce to realize that forging a good relationship with your ex and co-parenting peacefully is not the exception to the rule," says Buscemi. "It takes work, it takes consideration and it takes respect, but little by little, you will see results." 

Her first book, Split In Two: Keeping it Together When Your Parents Live Apart, was published in 2009 (Zest Books). She is also the host of Fashion in Detroit, a two-day annual event show-casing the city's fashion scene, and is also editor of StyleLine Magazine, metro Detroit's guide to fashion, beauty and home. 

Now being recognized as an authority on co-parenting, Buscemi is writing a regular column for the Huffington Post's divorce page. 

Visit Amazon.com or norlightspress.com.

Super Body, Super Brain: The Workout That Does It All

by Michael Gonzalez-Wallace is a breakthrough progressive exercise program that offers

a full-body workout while stimulating your brain. By following this simple workout

regime, not only will your body become lean and fit, but your memory and concentration

will significantly improve. And the best part of all? It can be done almost anywhere,

takes as little as ten minutes a day, and requires no special equipment other than a few

hand weights.

 

"Even though your brain is not a muscle, you can use your muscles to boost your

brainpower. Each Super Body, Super Brain exercise may seem easy to perform, but the

crucial element is that your brain perceives the exercises as challenging," explains

Michael Gonzalez-Wallace, a performance trainer and athlete. While traditional repetitive

exercises-such as the classic bicep curl-use only limited brain power, these exercises

actively engage several areas in the brain including, the cerebellum (responsible for

balance, coordination, muscle timing, and speech); the basal ganglia (motor-coordinated

movements); the hippocampus (learning new movements); and the frontal lobes (higher

thinking and decision making).

 

Gonzalez-Wallace developed his program over a period of years, drawing on the work

and input of dozens of neuroscientists, neurokinesiologists, physicians, psychiatrists, and

brain researchers from all over the world, who all support the notion that the right kind of

exercise can indeed improve brainpower.

 

Part One of Super Body, Super Brain explains the basics behind the brain-muscle

connection, touching on some of the scientific research that explains how exercise and

learning new movements can literally rewire and stimulate our brains. Part Two

introduces the specific exercise circuits that make up the core of the program, including:

the Owl, the Hawk, the Eagle, and the Tiger-exercises that focus on the key elements of

balance, coordination, execution, motion, precision, speed, and strength. Part Three

focuses on nutrition, an important and often overlooked factor in improving brain

function. Michael provides up-to-date information about the best brain foods available

and lays out a complete diet plan, including easy-to-follow recipes, developed with the

help of top nutritionist Olinka Podany.

 

Additionally, there are quizzes designed to assess your fitness level, balance,

coordination, strength, cardiovascular ability, flexibility, and cognitive skills; general

questions about the exercises, addressing frequency, repetition, duration, expectations,

form and other issues beginners will have, and a special section with unique exercise

routines suitable for the whole family.

 

"Training is not about fitting into a new dress but about building a strong and resilient

body and a strong and powerful brain," Michael says. "It is about extending your life and

creating a confident, smart, and unstoppable you."

 

About the book:

Super Body, Super Brain by Michael Gonzalez-Wallace

ISBN: 978-0061945274

Publisher: HarperOne