Eva Pasco

5.0 out of 5 stars

A Symbiotic Collection of Poetry and Paintings

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2022

I acquired a signed copy of ‘All Red’ from the poet.

Anna Casamento-Arrigo’s inner voice plucked at my heartstrings as I savored each poignant and profound poem—some, autobiographical; others, historic and social commentaries. More than a few poems in this collection spanned several pages, redolent of short stories in their own right.

My favorite autobiographical poem is “WNY WINTER,” the ramblings of a twelve-year old walking and window shopping along The Miracle Mile, hoping to save enough loose nickels scrounged from the meters to purchase Petula Clark’s record, “Downtown” (pgs. 125 – 130).

My favorite social commentary is “THE DOVE HAS FLOWN,” which gives the appreciative reader many detailed flashbacks from the ‘60s—love beads, Afros, Steve McQueen’s turtleneck sweaters, etc. (pgs. 41 – 47).

Each poetic offering, conjoined with one of Gregory Anthony Stone’s expressive paintings, is emotionally charged with vivid imagery, giving the reader a glimpse into the poet’s heart, mind, and soul.

I highly recommend this in-depth, symbiotic collection.