Tools & Ornaments by Tracy Rice Weber |
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The Level, the Coping Saw, the Claw Hammer
My father found himself traveling– a buyer in retail, circling
home when he could to truer callings —handyman, dreamer
of impossible projects—a basement he tried to dig by hand
filling with rain, reason enough to spend weekends in the damp-
smelling garage. Maytag whirring, he traced tools
then painted their silhouettes—inventory on pegboard
where they hung. A practical matter, to see what was missing
by the shadows they left. Memorizing those shapes,
I learned the value of negative space. The work done bit
by bit there, the comfort—puzzling out repairs, favors
for neighbors, gifts for friends. What you might need—
a solid table, a sturdy mantel. He taught me how a man may be
remembered by what his hands made. He also taught me
sometimes what’s missing serves mercy’s greater cause.
My father found himself traveling– a buyer in retail, circling
home when he could to truer callings —handyman, dreamer
of impossible projects—a basement he tried to dig by hand
filling with rain, reason enough to spend weekends in the damp-
smelling garage. Maytag whirring, he traced tools
then painted their silhouettes—inventory on pegboard
where they hung. A practical matter, to see what was missing
by the shadows they left. Memorizing those shapes,
I learned the value of negative space. The work done bit
by bit there, the comfort—puzzling out repairs, favors
for neighbors, gifts for friends. What you might need—
a solid table, a sturdy mantel. He taught me how a man may be
remembered by what his hands made. He also taught me
sometimes what’s missing serves mercy’s greater cause.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Longtime educator Tracy Rice Weber now teaches Creative Writing and Literature to undergraduates at Old Dominion University and poetry workshops for The Muse Writing Center in Norfolk, VA. A graduate of the ODU MFA Program, her work can be found in River River, The Bangalore Review, on Poets.org as a recipient of the Academy of American Poets College Poetry Prize, and forthcoming in CALYX. In 2021 her chapbook, All That Keeps Me, was published by Finishing Line Press. She lives with her husband and sons in Hampton, VA.
Longtime educator Tracy Rice Weber now teaches Creative Writing and Literature to undergraduates at Old Dominion University and poetry workshops for The Muse Writing Center in Norfolk, VA. A graduate of the ODU MFA Program, her work can be found in River River, The Bangalore Review, on Poets.org as a recipient of the Academy of American Poets College Poetry Prize, and forthcoming in CALYX. In 2021 her chapbook, All That Keeps Me, was published by Finishing Line Press. She lives with her husband and sons in Hampton, VA.
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Publication Date: September 15, 2023
Paperback: $18.00 Publisher: Saint Julian Press, Inc. Language: English Paperback: 84 pages ISBN-13: 978-1-955194-16-7 For an advance copy, contact: Ron Starbuck or Tracy Rice Weber. |
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Available Through ~ Ingram Content Group ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ IndieBound ~ Bookshop ~ Book Depository (UK) ~ Fine Book Distributors & Retailers
Saint Julian Press, Inc. * Houston, TX 77008 * Ron Starbuck ~ Publisher-CEO
Email: ronstarbuck@saintjulianpress.com * Web: www.saintjulianpress.com
Saint Julian Press, Inc. * Houston, TX 77008 * Ron Starbuck ~ Publisher-CEO
Email: ronstarbuck@saintjulianpress.com * Web: www.saintjulianpress.com
SAINT JULIAN PRESS, INC. © 2022
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As an Amazon Associate — Saint Julian Press, Inc. may earn funds from any qualifying purchases.
This arrangement does help to sustain the press and allow us to publish more books by more authors.