A Bullet For Two, Book Trailer by Alexandar Tomov

 

The Sun Loves Every Planet, Book Trailer by Francesco Del Gaudio

ALL BOOK REVIEWS: The Sun Loves Every Planet, And Interview With Robert Strzalko

 

Welcome to All Book Reviews!

1)  We're happy to review your book "The Sun Loves Every Planet" which won the NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Award in the Poetry Category Fall 2011.  Tell us what does it mean to you to win such an award for writing about your own experience?

Strzalko: It isn't the most prestigious award, but it is an award nonetheless.  I didn’t think I had any chance of winning, so when I received an e-mail letting me know that "The Sun Loves Every Planet" had won I was very happy about it.

2)  In "The Sun Loves Every Planet," what is your favorite poem in it?  And, why did you choose your book to be poetic?

Strzalko: I don’t really have a favorite poem.  I thought all of them were good enough to include in the book, or I wouldn’t have included them.  There are many different themes in the book, and the poems vary in length quite a bit also, so it is difficult for me to compare them to each other.  They are all unique and contribute to the overall mood and feeling of the book in their own way.  Some of them are about experiences that I’ve had; others are based on looking out at the world and trying to capture what I see and feel is taking place.

3)  Recently, we've seen a lot of celebrities and writers publishing their biographies.  Have you ever thought about writing one?

Strzalko: I don’t have any plans regarding a biography, but one of the novels that I’m working on is about a trip to Alaska that I took years ago.  I am also probably going to write a novel/series that covers my high school and college years.

4)  Since we're talking about new releases, what book have you read and really impressed you lately?

Strzalko: I haven’t read any new books lately.  I’ve been more focused on writing than reading, but I can tell you about one of my favorite books.  "The Moon And Sixpence" by W. Somerset Maugham is one of the best books that I’ve ever read.  I’ve read it four or five times so far, and I will read it again someday.  Every book that I’ve read by him is outstanding.  I haven’t read it yet, but the next book of his that I am going to read is "The Hero".  It’s been sitting on my desk for a long time.  One of these days I’m going to get around to reading it.

5)  The last 3 years were like a big shift in our lifestyle, and in our way of thinking.  We went through coronavirus, inflation, economic crisis, and so on.  Would you consider writing your own thoughts, or maybe a fictional story about some of these issues?

Strzalko: Yes, I would consider writing about the last couple of years, but I haven’t done so yet other than I’ve written down a few thoughts here and there in my journal.

6)  My last question will be about your future projects: is there a new book you're working on in the coming years?

Strzalko: There are several novels that I am working on.  One is based on my experiences in Alaska.  The other is about a painter that becomes famous in the late 1960’s in Chicago.  I have also decided to make my western novel "A Bullet For Two" into a series.  The second book in the series is going to be "Eleven Sunrises".   

All Book Reviews : Book Review: The Sun Loves Every Planet by Robert Strzalko

So often, we like to read books that makes us wonder what life is all about, and what is the meaning behind every single thing that surrounds us.

In his poetry book collection, Robert Strzalko gives us a thoughtful observation of life, in its different dimensions, alongside many adventurous narration that enrich the book with imagined stories.

"The Sun Loves Every Planet" is a reflection on love, past memories, and other interesting topics that attracts the reader's attention.

"It's interesting what some people

Consider reality to be

Given the fact

That we still don't know what it is"

With these words, Robert Strzalko opens up about philosophy, in which it brings up thousands of questions on life and existence.

Poems like "Archeology", "Einstein", and "Galileo" depicts human's achievements, that changed the perception of the world for ever.

Also, art and education are hugely mentioned in the book. Strzalko recollects his old school days in verses, where he talks about his teacher and the lectures that he used to attend and learn from.

The loss of his lover was present in many romantic poems, which tells about the huge passion and the great love he had for her, but death was in the way. Here, Strzalko reflect on the idea of death, and its impact.

Robert Strzalko writes about several countries he visited, like Iraq. He tells about third world countries and its struggles: like famine, misery, and war. Strzalko sympathize with these people, and write about them with honesty.

In his poetry book, Strzalko covers up all his experiences, his ideas, and his feelings. It makes the reader rethink every little thing in this world, and dive into the wonders of life, and the origin of nature.

"The Sun Loves Every Planet" is highly recommended for poetry lovers as well as for every person who would like to read and explore new perceptions of life.

 

 

GIRL IN JAKARTA, 1st Draft, A Selection From My Upcoming Book, THE SUN LOVES EVERY PLANET PART II

 

Whenever I think of you

I see you standing by the water

On an island

The sun is on your face

And in your eyes

There is a smile

When you see me walking towards you

I know you think I don’t notice you

I don’t pay attention

Because I’m quiet

And don’t tell you how I feel

But I do notice

Everything

When you walk into the room

With a tighter pair of pants

The new hairstyle

That makes you look even prettier

Than before

The bracelet you spent hours lingering on

Before deciding it was the right one

To express how you feel about yourself

And me

I think it’s me

Maybe you bought it to capture someone else’s attention

But it doesn’t matter

The last time I saw you was when you were sad

It hurt me to see your heart troubled

Today, you are beautiful and radiant

It makes me happy to see you smile

And feel good about yourself

You’re so beautiful

Especially when you’re by the water

And the waves are coming in

Something stirs in your soul

When you hear the wind playing

Alongside the shoals and reefs

But you don’t know this

You don’t believe it

Maybe someday you will

 

10-22-11

SINGAPORE, 1st Draft, A Selection From My Upcoming Book THE SUN LOVES EVERY PLANET PART II

 

When I arrived at the airport in Yogyakarta

After I returned from Singapore

I searched through a throng of brown faces

But I didn’t see you;

I saw men with dark hair in batiks and sandals

I saw women with brightly colored hijabs with skirts down to their ankles

I saw children laughing and running around

I saw men in uniform with guns on their belts

And there were taxi drivers lined up in their shirts and trousers

Each one with an expectant look on his face

As they approached me and asked if I needed a ride

But I didn’t see you

 

Then, your eyes met mine as the oppressive heat filled my lungs

The noise, the people, the smell of exotic spices and cigarettes and pollution

Faded away

There was only you and me standing there

Looking at each other as though we had never been apart

I don’t remember who smiled first

I suppose it doesn’t matter

We were together again

 

As we walked towards the train station

Your hand took hold of mine

It reminded me of the first time we met

That night in Jakarta

 

It reminded me of that night we sat by the ocean

It was just before the sun was beginning to set

The sky was heavy with thick clouds and the wind was strong

As the wind blew through our hair

The sky grew darker and darker as

We sat on batik mats eating shrimp and fish and rice

That we had picked out inside the decrepit building

Where men stood over open flames burning wood

The spice was perfect, not too much, not too hot

As we drank our coffee we watched boats sailing as the waves crashed to shore

The sound of all that mystery

Carrying dreams to shore from places unknown

Ancient places

 

You talked about Bali

And all the things you want to do there

As we sat watching the trains pass us by

In the darkness of the night

I was with you and yet I was still in Singapore

It was still moving through me

The faces that I had seen at the airport

The planes flying overhead

The people lounging at café’s

The armed guards patrolling the terminal

The shops selling everything from perfume to watches to liquor

The

The different languages that I heard being spoken

As women with skin the color of coconuts hurried past me…..

A SOLDIER’S STORY, A Selection From My Upcoming Book, The Sun Loves Every Planet Part II

 

For Charlene, Christmas Eve 2011

Our lips never touched

Though our eyes often met

Perhaps only for brief moments

To me

They seemed to last forever

 

We never went on a date

Our hips never ached with passion

In the middle of the night

I never felt your legs wrapped

Around me

Beneath all that starlight

Shining down on us

I never tasted your hot summer nipples

With my tongue

After we watched fireworks

Explode

In the July sky

We never watched snow fall

Until everything was white

Or

Built a snowman with a carrot for a nose

After we warmed up with hot chocolate

By the fireplace that your grandfather built

 

I had no idea what to say to you

I had no idea what to say to anyone

My thoughts always felt so loud

But

I could never find the words

To speak them

I am quiet

Like the wind that blows

Through the dark moods of the night

Still

You touched my heart

And now

All these years later

You touch it still

 

I thank God for you

I was fighting a war then

That I never told you about

I am fighting a war still

All these years later

What did you want me to tell you?

After watching my buddies die

All around me

After having some fun

A little Russian Roulette

I was the only one

To make it back home

Do you want to know

About every person I’ve killed?

Man, woman, and child

I was the best

I still am

I’ve killed too many to be a good man

Too many to be anything at all

Do you want to know about

Heroin

Why we need it as combat soldiers?

Take my pain away

Sister Morphine

Get me back into combat

If you can’t get me back in there fast

My friends will die

If that happens

I’m dead too

In a different kind of way

Do you know why we smoke cigarettes?

How do you think we stay awake

For days at a time?

Combat is heavy

There are no timeouts

No instant replays

No split decisions

It’s life and death

Give me smokes

Give me speed

So I can keep my friends alive

And

Make my country proud

The minute I got off the plane

They spit in my face

They called me baby killer

It broke my fucking heart

More than combat or injury

More than an enemy ever could have

Worse than the pain I felt

Every time I killed a child

Do you want to know more?

Do you?

I won’t tell you

I shouldn’t have told you this much

It’s my job to protect you

Why should these problems of mine

Burden your sleep?

 

I don’t care if I die

The only thing I have to look forward to

Is another battle

Another war

The world won’t let me be anything else

 

But then

You found me again

And I thought to myself

Perhaps I should try and stay alive

To try and live

Maybe war will end

And there will be something else

To occupy my time

But

That day hasn’t come yet

 

I have never married

Nor had children

I only know how to fight

I have never had the luxury of having a life

And now

I don’t know if it’s possible anymore

And if it is

I don’t know if I can live it

 

I don’t know how to dance

I don’t know how to play golf

I don’t know how to do many things

I only know, pain, death, war

Scars that refuse to heal

Injuries that remind me

Of

Who I am

What I am

Hopes that never have life

Why it is this way I don’t know

 

I want peace

I want to be left alone

Without some retarded insect pissing me off

Every 5 seconds

Every fucking day

But it is too much to ask in this world

This jungle I'm in is hotter than hell

Better run

Don’t look back behind you

My heart is sad

And yet

Something within it shines

I know I can’t give up

No matter what happens

I will always fight for you

There is too much at stake

For me to quit now

 

I want your children to have a better life

Than I have had

I want your hearts to be happy

They should never know

The pain of war

They should only know

The beauty of life

 

I want them to know the beauty

Of

Watching a bird fly

Into

Sun, moon, and starlight

I want them to listen

To the sound of the ocean

And

The song of the whale

When the wind is blowing

And

Fills us with all things possible

After all

Yesterday is gone

Tomorrow is not yet here

Tonight is all we have

 

If I should fall

Don’t cry for me

I did my duty

And

That is what a soldier is supposed to do

 

To die as a man

Is a good death

And

If giving my life

Allows you to live yours

I would do it again

Because

I love you

 

Then again

On second thought

Why stay where you’re not wanted?

Maybe I should move to another country

That wants me

That welcomes me

Why should you care about me?

I only put my life on the line for you

Every moment of every day

Welcome home

I think I’ll skip the parade