The poetry of Jen Wieber shows us that the best souvenirs are those we experience with our entire beings and then collect in our minds. In celebration of what it is to be human, these writings will offer assurance that we are all connected. Souvenirs will teach you to look at the everyday moments in your own life with new eyes, with more care for yourself and your journey, and with more love for those around you. This collection will resonate with both kids and adults, male or female and touches on the different aspects of human life: growing up, new love, parenthood, forgiveness, faith, and nature. At times humorous, sometimes earnest, and always sincere, Jen's words will help you feel the connection you are looking for.
Note: I am working on book #2 at the moment. If you'd like to jump on into my email list, you can be a part of the process. I will be gathering feedback, sharing stories and ideas, and sending out MY TOP 3 — a list of three different things (podcasts, websites, books, movies, music, etc) that are making me smarter (I hope 🤞 😂 ) and more creative. I'd love to have your company! Don't forget to respond to the confirmation email you find in your inbox and you'll be all set!
Poems that Stick;
Souvenirs: a Collection of Poems by Jen Wieber.
I’ve never read poems like these. Some are echoes of the hilarity contained in the “Yearly Quotes” sent out by Jen and her family. Some are poignant insights into life. Some are accounts of episodes in motherhood. Parts are sad, and parts are funny, and some manage to be both.
These poems deserve to be printed in vinyl loops and pressed on your walls, to savor them until the plaster cracks and words fall from the sky in new loops.
This book is a gift. There is a poem for every occasion and every mood. The words form shapes in your mind as you read the page and hear the rhythm. They give peeks into Jen’s life and humor. Her cadence on the page rubs off and your own words burst into new life.
Although I can’t tell you exactly what the span of this book is, or what precisely to expect, I can issue a warning: these are poems that stick. Expect to be quoting sections of this book in the near future, stealing Jen’s wisdom and speaking it to others. Expect this book to grow worn, the pages to have thumbprints on them, the corners to be squashed and softened. Because this is something you’ll want to keep close. It may become a souvenir in your life as well.
P.S. Some of my favorites are Scoop; Thankful; Apparently It’s Monday; Lost Lobe; 52 Syllables; 17 Syllables: A Haiku; Sorry; Just Stay Calm; Honey; Retrospect; How We Became Us (a true story); Pickle Addiction; Vikings; The Furry One; Bad Guy Soup; The Holy Microwave; Lily Pads; Feel-Good Pirates; Generosity; and, finally, Souvenirs.
Hard choice to decide a favorite.
I suppose you could just say all of them!
Because these are definitely poems that stick.
—Reviewed by Isabel Merrill, fledgling book critic
