John Kitsco

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For those of you who do not know Steven Micheal Berzensky I would hope
you seek out his writing. I refer to his latest book, entitled: THE NAMES
LEAVE THE STONES, published by Coteau Books (www. coteaubooks.com)

Vicky and I by chance had gotten to know this author (we call Mick) many
years ago. At the time Mick sold small chap books of his poetry in parks
and to whoever  would buy them. Over the years he became not only a full
time poet but also a writer of such a great book as this. Robert Hilles
wrote about Mick:
"...reveals a rare and beautiful reverence for the strenth of the human
spirit, the miracles of the natural world and the transformative power of art...

This collection proves that Steven Berzensky is a masterful poet. He
accomplishes the rare feat of mixing the personal and the political, the divine
and the everyday- sometimes in a single poem. No one can read poems such as
'Veil,' 'Osips last Poetry Reading' or 'Seedlings,' and not be moved by their
painful, hard truths. Despite whatever hard lesson these poems convey,
however, there is in them all moments of delight and hope. A poet who will
make you believe again in the wonder of poetry"

I remember Mick visiting us when our kids were mere babies. Mick
strummed the guitar and Chris (our oldest girl) danced in circles. I  played
along on the piano. Then Mick cooked up some magnificent spaghetti. And
to see him again at the door looking older and tired but with that beautiful
smile - made me realize our friend was going to continue on this journey
of life to bring back more beauty, more stories, more poems and as he
did on that day in June, provide us with a precious private reading of his
simply magnificent work...