Although my father is bilingual (French and English), my love affair with English began at an early age. However, my father was a career soldier--Army--and our family moved often; consequently, I lagged behind in school. I made up ground, ironically enough, AFTER dropping out of school in the 9th grade. Today, at 53, I am overjoyed at having surpassed my own expectations!

Clint Eastwood once said, "A man's gotta know his limitations." In response I quote from my preface: ". . . in brief, I do not profess to be other than a minor talent (my ardor exceeds my ability) . . ." It would probably be safe to assume that most writers, irrespective of educational background, are likewise limited and that this imbalance is the rule rather than the exception. If only I were as capable as I am passionate . . . but, sadly, that is not the case and I therefore choose to rest on my laurels. I was influenced/inspired by several authors/poets, among the most notable were George Gordon (Lord) Byron, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau. My favorite book is the Holy Bible. I cut my literary teeth, if you will, on the outmoded English of the King James epoch. In fact, in my naivete, I composed nearly the entire collection in neoclassical vernacular because that was how I thought poetry was supposed to be written. I was chagrined and despondent when I realized I had wasted years writing anachronistic poetry . . . my dreams were crushed and I was at the point of tossing my manuscript into the wastebasket when it occurred to me to at least attempt to salvage my work by contemporizing it. It proved to be a daunting challenge, requiring more imagination than I imagined myself capable of, but I somehow pulled it off and it was the most rewarding experience of my life.