|
Soul Proprietorship: Women in Search of their Souls Published 2011 Purchase Book OnLine NOW  Reviews"In her wonderful new collection, Soul Proprietorship, Dianalee Velie presents us with a series of stories about the places and events in life that our souls attend, memories that "...await us in every closet." Velie writes of "...nondenominational angels," "spunky dogs", and then wonders how one can find their soul when life revolves around everyone else. Join her "jumping into the leaves... pushing off in a snow saucer." Soulmate with her as she relates tragic tales on abortion, death and rape. Attend her daughter's "Perfect 10" marriage. Ah, Dianalee... It's all here. - Martha Deborah Hall, Poet (click here for more reviews) excerpt - Sunflower "Ariel started life in a little, black, hard shell with a tiny white stripe down the middle. She was comfortably surrounded by many others just like herself. Life was reassuring and perfectly planned. One day, as expected, she was mechanically plucked and neatly packaged with all the others and shipped far away from home. She was dumped into a clear plastic environment where one by one she watched those around her being gobbled up by the scary world around them. Ariel was frightened. She had these tremendous yearnings as if she were about to split at the seams with a powerful energy." (click here for the complete excerpt) |
|
Select poems translated into Italian During the Travel Workshop to Italy in October 2009, Dianalee had the opportunity to do readings in Cortona and Merate, Italy. Dianalee read the following works in English which were then read in Italian by Alberto Casiraghy, Ferdinando Radaelli, and Emilio Zanmarchi. (click here to view poems) |
|
The Many Roads to Paradise Published 2006 Purchase Book OnLine NOW Reviews  " In Dianalee Velie's poem, "Primary Colors," an old man, at home in his life, says "Here I am and I know." The Many Roads to Paradise is the record of a poet's tenacious desire, here and now - by way of a dog or a fireplace log or Louis Armstrong's recorded voice or a blue-collar cafeteria worker or a hermit thrush or a dying friend or a woman who is stoned to death - to 'know where God is hiding,' to 'sense heaven.' She invites our company during this search for the source, and we're grateful to discover her poems' answers."-William Heyen, 2004 National Book Award Finalist (click here for more reviews) excerpt - Segovian Riff A Segovian riff drifts through the latticed windows on their waterfront cottage, settling in the garden where my sister plants golden fall mums. Dressed in short overalls and a yellow, long-sleeved shirt, muddy gardening debris scatters around her, a Spanish sunflower to her husband, strumming his favorite guitar. (click here to continue) |
|
First Edition Published 2005  Purchase Book OnLine NOW Reviews "Velie's First Edition is a brave book, doing what it must do, making art out of enormous tragedy, painting over grief with '(t)he lemon yellow paint, called joyous..." -Maxine Kumin (click here for more reviews) excerpt - Metanoia Talismanic rosary in hand. |
|
Glass House Published 2004 Purchase Book OnLine NOW  Reviews"Dianalee Velie writes with grace and in poem after poem, her voice possesses a tender agility in order to travel those difficult paths that make us all uniquely human. These poems are brave in their lucidity, generous, sensual and intelligent celebrations of what it means to be in the world. Read this collection, it will enhance your life." -Kevin Pilkington, Poet / Professor (click here for more reviews) excerpt - Advice to My Cat Who Would Be a Poet Why do you stalk my mouse at the precise moment the muse descends, then delicately trip over random keys until a long line of feline poetry spreads before my eyes? If you want to be a poet, let me offer you some advice. Dig deep for the dirt, getting to the root of your poem, you know, like you did in the potted gardenia on the dining room table, then claw unrelentingly until you reveal the pure white ethereal stuff inside. (click here for the complete excerpt) |