{"product_id":"the-road-we-take-barry-lee-swanson-9781737285557","title":"The Road We Take: Selected Poems 1967-2022","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Road We Take\u003c\/em\u003e is an encore to Barry Lee Swanson's critically acclaimed, best-selling novel \u003cem\u003eStill Points.\u003c\/em\u003e A poetic portrait of a journey spanning the past seven decades, it provides the reader with a first-hand view of one baby boomer's life experiences.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom a college student caught in the quagmire of the Viet Nam War to the halls of collegiate academia to a senior citizen facing irrelevancy while considering the inevitable end of life, the author explores themes of loss, love, contemplation, and celebration with honesty and authenticity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHis poetry displays a combination of humor, irony, and passion, riddled with midwestern common sense and sentimentality, as he examines the complexities of family, education, romance, religion, and divisive national issues.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the book's title poem, the author claims he is just \"a common boy from Illinois.\" Swanson is far from common. \u003cem\u003eThe Road We Take\u003c\/em\u003e is a tour de force, a book of poetry that is both relevant and timeless.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Barry Lee Swanson\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 173728555X\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781737285557\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Boathouse Productions\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/15\/2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 260\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.85lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.59d","brand":"Barry Lee Swanson","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44132485791999,"sku":"9781737285557","price":16.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_9f6269ca-c8ba-4fc5-9ced-bd3c60b3f615.jpg?v=1687480487","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-road-we-take-barry-lee-swanson-9781737285557","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}