Check out the author reading “A Pertinacious Philosophy” and “Praise for My Forebears”
Check out Creatives for Places to Live: a reading to raise money for the homeless
A portion of the proceeds of Compositions on Compassion and Other Emotions go to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. The Alliance is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization committed to preventing and ending homelessness in the United States.
Deeply personal while completely universal, celebrated poet, essayist, and artist Bob McNeil explores the importance of love and hope in healing from the pandemic and society’s endemic violence.
But perhaps most of all, Compositions on Compassion and Other Emotions explores our collective mortality.
McNeil’s latest collection was conceived of when bedridden with a collapsed lung endangering his heart. Faced with the real prospect of imminent death, “I culled some of my writing and illustrations in my mind. All in the hope of leaving some kind of testimonial behind.”
As a result, Compositions on Compassion and Other Emotions is a stunning collection that urgently demonstrates both McNeil’s creative range and his vision for a more peaceful, loving world. While holding a mirror up to himself and his possible fate, he also holds a mirror up to us all, exploring love and loss in all its complexity, contradictions, and beauty.
In the end, the book is not a requiem but a vision of a better world, one that McNeil holds onto with all his might. “Those emotions provide nutrients to those who crave optimism. Throughout these times of countless tragedies, we must try to love others with ardor.”
“ … an intellectual, poetic journey through the mind of a thinker. Bob McNeil navigates a runaway train through the neighborhood of our existence.”
“This collection is a treasure for all of us.”
“Prepare to be moved, inspired, and forever changed by Bob McNeil’s extraordinary work. Dive into this enchanting journey and rediscover the power of words to touch our hearts and souls in profound ways.”
“…a magnificent collection of poems, essays, short stories, and brilliant illustrations from his enormous body of work…”
