TYLER, Texas “ In his return to poetry, David Di Paolo borrows from the Native American tradition of totems to examine the socially-charged topics of our times in Animal Spirits in the New Millennium. The book guides readers through our sometimes volatile and divided culture, with symbolism and wisdom derived from animal totems, allowing us to gain insight from their life lessons.
Punctuated with simple yet haunting artwork from Dace Kidd, the book lyrically captures the essence of our humanity in relaying what totems from the past can still teach us today. His work finds inspiration in an eclectic mix of animals to include an owl, skunk, turtle, otter, crow, eagle and raven. In a style reminiscent of American poet, Mary Oliver, the predominantly free verse work speaks about wisdom, loyalty, courage, joy, beauty and more.
The book also includes the short story, œA Forest Tale. In what might be described as œmythic folktale meets Lewis Carroll, the tale begins on the eve of the winter solstice with the birth of a young boy. The animals make a gift for the baby to be presented when he becomes a youth and task him at that time with delivering a message to Solomon, prophet and messenger of the Great Spirit. During his journey, the boy encounters animal spirits, who share clues to help him navigate the forest. Determined, the young scout unravels the riddles and reaches his destination.
œThe poems represent a reconsideration of traditional totems in a modern context and within a more diverse culture, says Di Paolo. œThe short story is a concise telling of a classic mythic folktale, within the world inhabited by the animal spirits. A fundamental aim of the book is to promote inclusivity, acceptance and societal kinship.
Animal Spirits in the New Millennium can be purchased online from SDP Publishing, Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Visit Di Paolo's website for more information.
About the Author
A physician, writer and photographer, David Di Paolo is the author of the Magical Realism novel, The Artemis Connection and a collection of photographs and poetry, By April's Kiss. He developed a video franchise titled œFitness over Forty airing on the television evening news, contributed fitness articles to the Tyler Morning Telegraph and authored a wellness blog for BSCENE.com. He is fascinated by and extensively studied folklore and Native American mythology.
