Breathtakingly candid and deeply insightful… An impressive memoir.
Darnell celebrates his relationship with art in this immersive memoir. Drawing on personal experience of decades, Darnell applies psychology to real life in surprising ways, artfully building tension into his storytelling—from the somewhat turbulent years of his childhood and adolescence to the secrets of success found along his writing journey—and making for an engaging reading experience. Darnell’s writing is sharp and precise, and his insights, as he offers a wide range of practical takeaways and strategies for artists, are thought-provoking. The accompanying poems dives headlong into the intricacies, pleasures, and mundanities of life: “These days, the agenda involves sorting/ powers of attorneys, wills for life and death,/ guardians for children in the event both/ parents die, separate trustees of the estate,/ and of course backups for those named as/ heirs to each station, plus their backups.” Using art to successfully and confidently navigate the world while displaying one’s own considerable artistic talent is a difficult approach, but Darnell succeeds in simplifying without patronizing. This is a fascinating work that will inspire aspiring freelance writers/ artists to go ahead and pursue their passion.
Arc of the Poet: A Poetic Memoir
Roger Darnell (Author), Leslie “Jinx” Caulfield (Foreword)
DW Books
Pub date November 4, 2022
ISBN 979-8987010808
Price $14.99 (USD) Paperback, $9.99 Kindle edition
