poems by
Howard J. Kogan
ISBN: 978-0-9833897-3-6
124 pages, softcover
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$12.95
Poetry Experiences an "Indian Summer" in Upstate New York
New book is first collection of poems for 2011 Poet Laureate
VOORHEESVILLE, NY - Square Circle Press announces the release of its first book-length collection of poems, Indian Summer. It is the first book for Upstate New York poet Howard J. Kogan, who earned top honors in one of the Capital Region's most respected poetry contests.
Howard J. Kogan began writing poetry in his twenties, but set it aside to pursue family life and a career. About his writing he says, "I returned to it in my sixties. I am grateful to have this opportunity to return to an early love. I think of it as my Indian summer, a season of sun and tranquility nestled between the foreshadowing of what is to come and its final arrival."
The social worker and psychotherapist lives with his wife Libby in the Taconic Mountains of New York State where he enjoys the rural life and writing. In 2010, Kogan submitted three poems to the 1st Annual Smith's Tavern Poet Laureate Contest, an event open to Capital Region poets, sponsored by the Sunday Four Poets and held each April at "Smitty's" Tavern in Voorheesville. His three poems, "Photograph," "Zamboni," and "Bailey at the Museum," earned him a third place Honorable Mention in the contest.
For Kogan's second attempt in 2011, he submitted "Three Jokes for Science," "Evolution," and "Winter Wren," which garnered him the crown of laurels and his name on the coveted trophy known affectionately as "The Willie," a table top-sized statue of William Shakespeare, permanently on display at Smitty's Tavern in the "Poet's Corner."
All six poems are included in Indian Summer, a collection of fifty-one poems now available from Square Circle Press. Kogan took advantage of the self-publishing services of the upstate company, about which he stated, "Working with Mr. Vang at Square Circle Press has been a delight. He produced a high-quality book for a fraction of the cost of better known publishing houses. And unlike the experience of many of my friends who have used other houses, he is available and committed to producing a book both you and he will be proud of."
Richard Vang, owner and publisher of the five-year-old Square Circle Press, commented that "Howard is a fine poet, and this collection is bound to have something appealing to everyone. His insights into literature, writing, childhood, nature, and the bigger questions of daily life and death, are at times thought-provoking, witty, and inspirational." About the self-publishing services of the company Vang added, "I was so pleased when Howard chose to work with Square Circle Press. Not every manuscript we receive fits neatly into our catalog focus, and the sometimes grueling traditional publishing route is not for everyone. But because we are smaller and can take advantage of today's various printing and marketing technologies, we can help self-publishers who want more control of their product to more easily launch their books onto a larger market."
Howard J. Kogan's next scheduled poetry reading will take place on October 15, 2011 at the Main Branch of the Albany Public Library, located at 161 Washington Avenue in Albany. He will take part in a Community of Writers Event sponsored by The Hudson Valley Writers Guild.
Indian Summer is available in paperback, and is for sale online at the publisher's web site and larger online retailers such as Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble, as well as through local bookstores.
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