Shelves and Things

About the Book

Shelves and Things is a collection of memories recorded in poetic form and reflecting six decades of the life and thoughts of the author. This collection includes some mundane, trivial ramblings as well as some deeply rooted feelings and emotions that are not necessarily unique to the writer, but are frequently shared by all humans who traverse the sometimes bumpy and curving road that we call life. Inspired by the many people and events that he has encountered along the way, the author has personalized, and at the same time universalized, many of the common fears, preoccupations, joys, and everyday experiences that we all experience

About the Author

I have always had a love for the written word-- novel, short story, drama, or poetry. The latter has always been a special love for me, and I have written poetic verses since very early in my life. As a student, I developed a love, not only for the words themselves, but also for poetic form. I was attracted by several generations of Spain's great poets, from early manifestations such as the epic El Cid, to the twentieth century master, Federico Garcia Lorca. My love for Romanticism is obvious to the observant reader, and the theme of unrequited love often harks back to the great Golden Age poets and play writes who wrote of love and its effects on the human soul. I have traveled extensively in my own country, in Latin America, and in Europe. Needless to say, things Hispanic fascinate me, and I have an enduring love for the peoples and the culture of the Iberian Peninsula, especially Spain. Spanish food, wine, music, literature and art--all of these transport me into a different world from the hot, dry plains of West Texas where I spent my childhood and formative years.