{"product_id":"stone-venus-jo-reed-9780956890412","title":"Stone Venus","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Only the core of her left -\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003ea memory of being whole.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eI keep her upon my bookshelf, \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003ehold her neat within my hand, \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003ereminded of the life in stone.'\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eJo Reed's encounter with the original 'Stone Venus', entangled amongst seaweed on a Corfu beach, was the source of much inspiration, creativity and comfort to the lifelong artist. Now, it has become the seed of her first collection of poetry; a collection you could soon be holding in your outstretched hand, much like Jo held 'Venus' herself on that cold morning. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe poet demonstrates a fascination with objects - as well as people, memories and places - throughout this moving, delicately-crafted debut, which inhabits them, transports them to decades past, then brings them back into the present with a series of skillful literary flourishes. This is writing to touch, inspire and astonish any reader - even those made of stone.\u003cp\u003e\"Poems which show due care for the reader, often capable of a startling justness of phrase or rhythm...an attentiveness to both art and experience.\"\u003cbr\u003eW.N. Herbert \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Even if I didn't know, I'd be able to tell the poems were written by a visual artist; like a stained glass with each bit showing a different part of [Jo's] life. Lovely.\" \u003cbr\u003ePauline Plummer \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'Afterthought' \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cem\u003eIf she had known she would sleep alone\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003ein her borrowed marriage bed, \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eshe'd have packed that life in a suitcase, \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eshe'd have hitch-hiked to Brighton instead.\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eJo Reed was born near Durham in 1941. She spent her childhood moving up and down the East Coast, from Northumbria to Norfolk, before arriving in Soho, London in the 1960s. She later lived in rural Surrey and Lincolnshire, before settling in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, at the turn of the century. She has worked as an illustrator, printmaker and teacher, and has had her art exhibited widely in one-woman shows from Athens to Buenos Aires, as well as in London.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Jo Reed\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0956890415\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780956890412\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Valley Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/27\/2011\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 54\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.14lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.81h x 5.06w x 0.11d","brand":"Jo Reed","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":47473965203711,"sku":"9780956890412","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_f909f834-3647-4de2-b3c6-bc062e24857d.jpg?v=1762314094","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/stone-venus-jo-reed-9780956890412","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}