Cereulean Odyssey - the Book

Gerrit Verstraete released his first book of selected poems titled “Mid-Seventies Crisis,” in 1980 ( Admiral Press, Canada ). “But,” he says, “it’s never too late. It’s not that I stopped writing, I just didn’t know what to do first, draw, paint, write poetry, work on my novels, write columns, and of course raise a large family together with my wife Alice.” A number of his poems have been published in various magazines and publications, but his new book “Cerulean Odyssey – the long distance voyager,” is the first volume of an epic poem he began writing in 2004. Cerulean ( meaning sky blue ) is a personification of the artist’s personal journey through the web and weave of life, a journey of art and faith that focuses on Cerulean’s search for “the city of God, not built with human hands.” The content of his new book is a contemporary style using conceptual imagery in a narrative poetic manner. Much of the writing was inspired by his island surroundings, both on Gabriola and Vancouver Island. One reader in New Zealand said, “Wow! I've now had my daily dose of inspiration. Your visual poetry is truly powerful and transcending...I love how it reaches out on so many levels and does not exclude anyone in its scope.” To date the epic ( in four completed volumes – so far ) comprises over 500 tableaux or sketches ( individual poems ) with 200 in volume one. The book is available online through Wordclay Publishers. The 6 X 9 volume is paperback, full colour cover, and 124 pages at $25 US ( plus S & H ). Simply log on to www.wordclay.com, select the “bookstore” and type in the author’s name: Gerrit Verstraete. Lots more information about the book is posted. Currently Gerrit is writing the fifth volume of the epic. So, if you’ve ever wanted to own a Verstraete for less than fifty bucks ( many know him for his fine art drawings and abstract paintings ), enjoy a copy of “Cerulean Odyssey.”