New Fields and Other Stones
On a Child's Death

 

Saul Bennett

 

Archer Books
107 pages Hardcover

ISBN 0-9662299-0-8

19.95
(Click here to order) 

This remarkable book of poetry is an emotional touchstone for anyone who has lost a loved one. The author courageously takes us through his exploration of ‘life’ following the sudden death, at age 24, of his eldest daughter. It’s all here, in devastating chronological order: the horror of the event itself; the anger and rage; the heartbreaking flashes from the past; the memory-induced eruptions of uncontrollable sadness; every wrenching note of the grieving process.

Saul Bennett demonstrates through his meticulously constructed verse that there is life after loss, that you don't have to 'get over it', and that you can carry on and find continued meaning to life after the loss of a loved one.  You will find yourself picking this book up again and again . . . and will be touched and moved each time you do so.

(click here for a sample from the book)

Praise for New Fields and Other Stones

"As a poet who also has lost a child, and written about it, I have great admiration for the courage, grace, and voice of memory/experience that Saul Bennett shares in this moving, redemptive collection. What makes the book stand out is the Lieberman-like use of diction, adding another layer of tension with respect to the subject matter. This is as strong a debut as any poet has made into the world of letters."
    —Michael Bugeja, author, The Visionary and The Art & Craft of Poetry

"New Fields and Other Stones is poetry written with a sword of sorrow, emanating tortured confusion, yet exploding with love. His (Saul Bennett’s) lines sear you with an Old Testament quiet fury . . . ultimately, they astound you for their soul-wrenching imagery. How grateful I am to Saul for exposing his heart and putting out his hands to embrace all of us who have been reshaped by grief. As I read his words, I wondered, "Are these his tears—or mine?"
    —Antoinette Bosco - Catholic News Service, author, The Pummeled Heart

"Saul Bennett’s New Fields and Other Stones takes the reader into his dark night of the soul to look at the raw emotions and subjects which in the past have been taboo to expose. He is not afraid to expose a father’s grief and a family’s grief. More importantly, he describes masculine grief—which is so different from feminine grief—in a way that will allow male grievers to identify with his pain and thus normalize their own. As a grief therapist and grief educator, I welcome Saul’s book on many levels. Whether you have had a child die, or have suffered from any loss, Saul Bennett’s words will ring a familiar chord not only in your heart, but in your soul."
   – Shelley Grod Tatelbaum, MS Certified Grief Therapist,
       Founder and Director of the Center for
       Grief, Loss and Life Transition, Poughkeepsie, New York