A View from the Quiet Corner: The Reflections of a Novice Poet

We are all influenced by the world around us. That which is near and that which seems to be at a distance. These influences impact us physically, emotionally and spiritually. When any of these areas are affected in an extreme way it gets our attention. Our way of thinking, our direction, and relationships may be altered in keeping with our conscience. When we seek and attain the approval of our conscience we are at peace. The selection of poems and reflections in this book are born of personal experience or observation. When I attended literature classes in college the subject of poetry was sometimes frustrating. Frustration brought about by trying to unearth what purpose the poet had in mind. In our class discussions I discovered each member of the group had a unique interpretation of his/her own. In the end the professor would reveal the idea the poet had intended. I believe a poet's purpose is successfully served when the reader is motivated enough to draw something personally meaningful from the work; even though that which is drawn may not be the essence of the work. It is my hope that those who read this book and earnestly reflect will find worthwhile meaning unique to themselves.

Alan Malizia is a retired secondary catholic school mathematics teacher. During his tenure with the Diocese of Bridgeport school system in Connecticut he also coached athletics on the high school level. He was head coach of the Stamford/Trinity Catholic girls volleyball program that won four class S state championships in the 1980's. Due to the successful efforts of all in the program the author was named Connecticut Coach of the Year in 1988 and inducted into the Connecticut Women's Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2007. His retirement was hastened by the onset of symptoms from Post Polio Syndrome. Writing became a new avenue of interest. Urged by his mother , he wrote an autobiography about his life as a polio survivor, which he contracted at age four. The title of the book, also published by AuthorHouse, is "The Little Red Chair." Since the completion of this book he has written a number of poems and keeps a journal of observations that, in time, will be expanded further.