In the Place of Singing

Poems by John Freeman

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In “the Ax-helve,” Frost recommends that a good poem, like a good axhandle, have “the straight crookedness of a good walking stick.”  In order to have maximum strength, it must follow the grain.  John Freeman’s poetry always follows the grain.  The beauty of his words is the beauty of faithfulness, the beauty that comes from not wasting any words.  Freeman always goes to his subject, not necessarily by the most direct route, but always by the most natural route. –Jack Butler

In In the Place of Singing, as in other fine books, John Freeman reaches down deep and pulls out the true values of the South and the people of the land around the entire world.  Staged in rural Mississippi, these poems show up much of the world of the past and how it relates to the present.  Nostalgic, but without sentiment, these poems exemplify the present and the past in the best of both, and prepare the reader to go forward while holding onto a great tradition of literature and passionate values.  –Leonard Cirino, Publisher, Pygmy Forest Press

          A native of Mississippi, John Freeman lives in Harvey, Louisiana, where he is a retired teacher.  He has published two previous books of poetry, Illusion on the Louisiana Side and Standing on My Father’s Grave.  He is poetry editor of The Magnolia Quarterly.

          This is an outstanding work, beautifully crafted, unified, and powerful.  In the first part, beginning with the plainest of Mississippi settings, the poet tests his memory to explore his roots and the relationships between past and present - not in the outworn confessional mode, focused on a solipsistic self, but as a means of discovery of what goes beyond, and was before, and will be after, the self, in order to move, gradually, toward a recognizable and whole inner being.

--Catherine Savage Brosman

 About the Author

       
    John Freeman taught English and creative writing at the University of Arkansas, Tarlton State University, and Mississippi State University.

       Prior to his retirement, Freeman taught at Oakley Training School, the Mississippi state reform school for incarcerated male juvenile delinquents.  
        His first book of poetry, Illusion on the Louisiana Side, was published by Pygmy Forest Press (1994).

Review
        "This is a great work - stunningly beautiful and haunting at the same tine. But what is the most outstanding feature of this book is Freeman's honesty and his love for and approach to the entire world of humanity as well as what it encompasses.... It is rare to find poems that encompass so many facets of both the human condition and the natural world, and Freeman does it with simple language, classical style, and very eloquent verse. One of the finest reading experiences I've had in several yeas."                
        - Leonard Cirino, Pygmy Forest Press

Review
        “. . . the work of a smart man, a tough man, a brave poet. His poems about birds and other natural creatures may seem to place him in the tradition of romantic poetry. There's truth to that. His wild use of metaphor will suggest the metaphysical poets to some readers. Fair enough. Some of his poems are likely to be called confessional. He's a religious man who has lived some serious and dangerous lives. He'll have to be somewhat confessional. Most of all he is an original poet. Read all of his book. Enjoy."          
        - James Whitehead, University of Arkansas

Review
        "The poems are traditional in form, their lines turned on a master's lathe. This impressive collection fulfills his urge 'to reach the fire of words rubbed together' and delivers 'Late-Night Country Music' that both compels and sustains."    
        - Angela Ball, University of Southern Mississippi

Hardback edition:  $30.00

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