Idiolect is my second book of poetry. It was published by Ekstasis Editions in August 2021 (two years and counting into The Plague.2). Perhaps fittingly, it begins with a poem, “Call and Response”, which deals with the indignities and worse that were visited upon the elderly during the pandemic, even in developed countries. Other content ranges widely, geographically as well as in terms of subject matter and form. The mood, too, fluctuates from the uplifting and optimistic to the playful and whimsical, to the more chilling and ominous—reflecting, thus, the full reach and chiaroscuro of life in the modern world.

The poems in Idiolect return to territory that will be familiar to my readers. They aim to explore love, loss, happiness, sorrow and redemption, but in different ways and from some different angles. They seek to provide glimpses of both our better and lesser selves, often in circumstances where character and belief are tested by life events. Many of the poems are new works, not seen before; others have appeared in literary journals and anthologies published in Canada, Northern Ireland, Ireland, England and the USA. Some have placed in literary competitions. I would say, humbly, that my poetry reflects the influences of other poets and writers as diverse as Louise MacNeice, Allen Ginsberg, Elizabeth Smart, George McWhirter, Karen Solie and Seamus Heaney.

Idiolect is now available at better bookstores. The book can, however, easily be obtained by placing an online order directly with my publisher, Ekstasis Editions. Simply click here and you will be taken to an order page showing options for purchasers in Canada, the USA and the rest of the world.