Title: Listening to Miles Davis and Gil Evans on a January Night
Publisher: Silver Bow Publishing
PAGES: 126
ASIN: B0D8GGGQ2C
Dr. Greg Stidham’s newest poetry book, Listening to Miles Davis and Gil Evans on a January Night, is a collection that unearths the unsung beauty of life’s most ordinary moments. With a narrative voice that paints images using tiny brushstrokes of description, Dr. Stidham shines light on his life’s most tender memories—a child’s worn-out stuffed animal, a rescue dog who found its home, an empty house after the bustle of raising teenagers—depicting each of these ordinary happenings in a way that makes them extraordinary, haunting, and remarkable.
Dr. Stidham sets this tone by commencing his sixth poetry book with a quotation from Romantic-era poet Percy Bysshe Shelley: “Poetry lifts the veil from the hidden beauty of the world, and makes familiar objects be as if they were not familiar.”
Indeed, Shelley’s definition of poetry saturates the pages of Dr. Stidham’s book, inviting readers to defamiliarize themselves with life’s most mundane moments in order to appreciate their full beauty. Dr. Stidham challenges the humdrum of life by casting the world around him in a new, glowing light.
Listening to Miles Davis and Gil Evans on a January Night’s tender and raw musings are divided into eight topics, ranging from nature to sociopolitical issues to ailments. Dr. Stidham illuminates the world around him with an appreciation for the ordinary that is far too rare in the world today.
After a 32-year career in medicine, Dr. Stidham has turned to the cathartic experience of creative writing, excelling in several different forms. His previous published works include book Blessings and Sudden Intimacies, where he reflects on his career’s highs and lows; short story collection Dear Friends, where he dives into fictional tales of chance encounters and relationships; and other poetry like that found in his collection Ice Tea Poetry. Some of his writing draws inspiration from his career as a pediatric intensivist, and he currently volunteers as a grief counsellor for bereaved parents in Kingston, Ontario, where he lives with his wife and rescue dogs.
Inspire yourself to consider all the beautiful moments that your daily routine has blinded you to by picking up a copy of Listening to Miles Davis and Gil Evans on a January Night.
Dr. Greg Stidham’s latest book is available for purchase on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.
