Weaving together stories of the valiant Weya women of Africa with contemporary poetry and a metaphysical hip-hop drama, Katherine De Lorraine’s new book, Human Bridges, explores healing and reconciliation in womankind from three different perspectives.
The book defies traditional genres, so it is known as Synerlit: literature that ties together different genres to tell a story with each part remaining self-contained. In this case it relates the individual quests for identity, love and understanding.
Human Bridges promotes self-empowerment and unity by showing the universality of human struggles.
In part 1, the author, inspired by a group of African women, creates monologues that explore their lives of women as they were taught to use art to liberate themselves. Herein, the central characters, Wise Woman and Destiny first appear and follow throughout.
In the second part, De Lorraine uses free verse poems to explore her life journey as an American woman and its connection to others.
Finally, in part 3, she adds a play touching on universal issues such as fear, relationships, weight, and money (with solutions).
“Here is a poet that believes in a unity of spirit that binds women (and men) in a transcendent community. She has the technical skills and the energy to transport readers into her sphere of belief. Entertaining serious, witty, and sometimes wry, Human Bridges is hard-won testimony –and much more than that.” -Fred Chappell, poet and novelist, author of the poetry collection,Backass (2004), and the novel, Dagon (2002) and numerous other works.
“Any time a new voice is raised in the honest quest for truth and peace; for love and understanding, the universe sings a better song to help relax us all for change. Katherine De Lorraine is singing a new song of expectation and hope. We all should be pleased.” -Nikki Giovanni, poet, author of Acolytes: Poems (2007) and numerous works.
ISBN: 978-0-911051-3032-2