eric b. miller
Poetry; Creative Nonfiction
Published by: Milbrown Press
Publication Date: April 21, 2022
Paperback ISBN: 979-8-9859113-0-5
Ebook ISBN: 979-8-9859113-1-2
Paperback Trim: 5.5" x 8.5" - 174 Pages
Available: All major retailers;
Wholesale via Ingram; Overdrive.
Little Known Stories
Prose in Format
written by eric b. miller
One life ends, another goes on. Little Known Stories is an account of these two lives, of forty years together and the unfinished business death leaves in its wake. It is a story that matches the character of life, where the commonplace holds sway, where tragedy cannot be avoided, and humor cannot be helped. It is also an appreciation of a life that sought a place for itself in the world, and by a bad turn of fate, instead found its way here.
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praise for Little Known Stories
Kirkus STARRED Review
A collection of poetic vignettes detailing a lifelong love, a terminal illness, and an unbearable absence.
These detailed poems provide readers with a nonlinear voyage through the author’s memories, jumping between his present solitary state and the relationship he shared with his late wife, Lisa. Often the reader receives glimpses of his spouse in works that reference her boundless imagination, her determination to work and create, and the sadness that plagued her throughout her 60 years. As a result, the collection becomes not just a chronicle of the author’s grief, but also an effort to offer a complete portrait of Lisa, pulled from memories that become increasingly difficult to grasp with time.
Readers join the author in his struggle to hold onto his wife as he loses himself in all that they shared. This late-in-life grief is portrayed as a gutting transformation—a death in and of itself:
As far as the good life I was supposed to have,
I let myself believe it once….
Foolish expectations
dug a big hole.
I climbed in
and folly was more than happy
to cover me over.
The strength of the collection originates in the sense of understanding and awe it forces upon
its readers, revealing how one is unable to distance oneself from the pain inherent in love and grief; they’ll be struck with the certainty that they’ll one day experience both. To combine simplicity with artistry is a demanding task, and it’s one that few works can accomplish. Such a balance pulses throughout these stories, which are as stark and complex as loss itself.
A beautiful and piercing look at grief handled with delicacy.
[Reviewed Feb. 14, 2023]