Playing for a Piece of the Poetry Pie

Ethan Switch - Tuesday, 23 December, 2003 - 17:53:12 - print it raw

Among the hardest things in the world of literature to sell are tomes of poetry. Once were willing but now are filling and the new book hitting the chances, Fighting For Peace has no big name celebrity behind the voice. Instead, Daisaku Ellis, a Japanese Buddhist peace builder.

"The title is provocative, and the poems are a call on everyone to stand up for justice and for peace," comments Donald Ellis, the publisher, someone with a vested interest in seeing this being spreading its wings. Of course, with Fighting For Peace being the second collection translated to English from Japanese, there's a certain certainty they have toward the publication which includes poems ranging from lamenting Japan's role in World War II to protesting the abuse of life by today's politicians in the use of war to achieve their ends.

Other poets, such as Ishmael Reed and Joseph Rotblat, have written themselves into the scene with their own thoughts on the title.

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