Böcker av Thomas Curley

In this, his second volume of poetry, author Thomas Curley invites us as companions on a journey into his most intimate reflections and contemplations of spiritual life. Culled from journals kept since 1979, the 23 works selected for inclusion herein date from 1991 - 2000, a period of deep introspection when the author sought the balance of maintaining a relationship with God while assuming the responsibilities of secular adult life. "There had been some dark, soul-searching moments in my youth" Curley writes, "but, privately, the close kinship with God through prayer that I maintained was what always got me through."Curley's poetry enables us to reacquaint ourselves with the fundamental values that define the best potential versions of ourselves as individuals, a society and species: compassion, gratitude, forgiveness, acceptance, love, and kindness.

How did celebrated author Mark Twain, a one-time Confederate militia man and child of slave-owning parents, ultimately marry into an abolitionist family of Underground Railroad conductors? How did Twain transform this inherent racism of his youth to become one of the leading advocates for racial equality and inclusiveness in American History? What can be learned that mighthelp in today's climate of racial disharmony? In this charming tribute to his late father, author Thomas Curley embarks on a series of road trips to recapture a lost bond between father and son, curious to know why his father had been such a fan of, and was so influenced by, Mark Twain. What begins as a free-spirited journal of tourist jaunts and childhood memories unfolds in an unanticipated direction when one trip triggers recollections of growing up in his racially-torn Philadelphia neighborhood in the 1960s and '70s. This inspires powerful revelations about the history of racial divisiveness in the United States, and how the life of Mark Twain offers what actor Hal Holbrook once described as "the clear path to the soul of America." "It had taken my own travels to arrive at a deepened understanding and reinvigorated appreciation for the genius of Mark Twain" Curley writes. "Racial discrimination is the defining underscore of American history. Since the publication of theAdventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain has been in the forefront of that conversation for more than one-hundred and thirty years." Filled with anecdotes about renowned figures from Benjamin Franklin and Frederick Douglas to John Denver and The Grateful Dead, THE ELEPHANT ON THE RAFT takes us on an uplifting ride from South Philadelphia to Twain landmarks from Hannibal to Hartford, with stops at Gettysburg, Ireland, Hollywood, Haiti, and a Rock and Roll cruise, sharing revelations about film, fatherhood, American life, and a potential path to healing a national wound.

Angelic strangers that save lives, heal terminal disease, deliver prophetic messages to unassuming individuals, then abruptly vanish. Religious icons that weep oil, honey, blood and statues that drink milk; apparitions of saintly figures from all religious traditions. Who are these mysterious emissaries of good will? What are they trying to say? In Masters Among Us, Thomas Curley unveils an interwoven history of incredible events that appear to be an orchestrated strategy of unearthly intervention, consciously designed to inaugurate a new and unprecedented era of human existence and achievement.Journey with the author as he shares his encounters with extraordinary individuals, inspiring interviews with ordinary people who have experienced miraculous things, and related tales of world-renown figures such as Albert Einstein, Buckminster Fuller, Padre Pio, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Paramahansa Yogananda, Jiddu Krishnamurti, Benjamin Creme, Sri Bhagavan and other luminaries. 

"Having grown up in South Philadelphia" the author writes, "I found inspiration in what might be otherwise considered wretched places filled with broken glass, rusted fences, decaying factories, and trash-strewn neighborhoods. I remember, at 5 or 6 years old, being fascinated with a dandelion that grew from a crevice in concrete. There were few flowers or trees in South Philadelphia then. Discovering hidden beauty in a coarse environment set the stage for a lifetime of seeking it." In this collection of poetry by writer Thomas Curley, the author uses the street where he lives as an analogous metaphor for a changing and evolving 21st Century American social landscape. Curley's street that looks like America is our own street, and the poem is a work for all of us. It serves as a snapshot of 21st Century America as a place in the midst of change and redefinition of itself.