From poet and writer David Fortier comes a collection of poems written over the last two decades. Paradise combines a whimsical look at the human experience with a cunning and critical consideration of the big questions that have been with us since time immemorial. Including such works as “In the end,” “Snake charmer” and “I knew my parents were in love,” Fortier’s work spans a lifetime, with specific experiences that we all share. With the inclusion of poems like “Adam and Eve,” “Homage to Whitman,” and “Sonnet II—After Shakespeare,” his work also serves to address the power of words in the works that have come before his. The poems in this collection explore life and death, good and evil, innocence and regret, in a way that makes the reader truly consider the array of experiences that pass us by, and that, perhaps we cannot appreciate until it is too late. Most importantly, Paradise is a collection of poems with heart—the kind of heart that allows a reader to simply enjoy, question, wonder, and feel.
Paradise is David Fortier's first book of poems. Fortier is one of the founders of Lefora Publishing, a member of Chimney Crest Writers, a high school English teacher, the author of a weekly newspaper column “On My Mind,” co-author of Meditations for Busy Couples, and editor of a collection of essays, Unexpected Presence. He lives in Bristol, CT, with his wife, Mary.
