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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SCARLET LEAF REVIEW AND A WARM SALUTE TO MIHAI EMINESCU!

1/15/2017

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On January 15, 2016, the first issue of the Scarlet Leaf Review saw the light of the Internet. One year after, it's reached 462,478 hits and offered us the joy of reading and publishing authors of all nationalities, ages, genres and ideas. 

It's been an interesting year - we have grown a lot and learnt a lot. This year opened our eyes to a new world of literature. We have had the chance to publish authors for the first time but also to enjoy the writings of seasoned authors. 

There is more ahead of us but we are proud of what we have accomplished with the contribution of so many talented people. We are also grateful for the chance we have had - to encounter so many promising talents and to join a world of ideas and principles. 

We want to thank you all of you: authors and readers. You have made this year of existence exciting and memorable. 

The Jan 15 2017 edition will not follow the same recipe as the ones before. The structure is different. Don't worry: we aren't as nonconformist as we may seem! On Jan 16, the regular issue will be live as well and will not differ in structure as this one.  Keep in mind, you can look at the categories on the right side of the page and find the name of the author you want to read. 

Let's also not forget that Jan 15 is the anniversary of the great poet Mihai Eminescu, the misunderstood genius, whose words are so compelling that people learnt Romanian just to be able to read his poems in original. We published some of his poems in the first issue of this magazine, however, we will republish one of them - Evening Star - as it is one of his most famous poems:



                                                    EVENING STAR
 
There was, as in the fairy tales,
As ne'er in the time's raid,
There was, of famous royal blood
A most beautiful maid. 
 
She was her parents' only child,
Bright like the sun at noon,
Like the Virgin midst the saints
And among stars the moon. 
 
From the deep shadow of the vaults
Her step now she directs
Toward a window; at its nook
Bright Evening-star expects. 
 
She looks as in the distant seas
He rises, darts his rays
And leads the blackish, loaded ships
On the wet, moving, ways. 
 
To look at him every night
Her soul her instincts spur;
And as he looks at her for weeks
He falls in love with her. 
 
And as on her elbows she leans
Her temple and her whim
She feels in her heart and soul that
She falls in love with him. 
 
And ev'ry night his stormy flames
More stormily renew
When in the shadow of the castle
She shows to his bright view. 
 
* *
 
And to her room with her slow steps
He bears his steps and aims
Weaving out of his sparkles cold
A toil of shaking flames. 
 
And when she throws upon her bed
Her tired limbs and reposes,
He glides his light along her hands
And her sweet eyelash closes. 
 
And from the mirror on her shape
A beam has spread and burns,
On her big eyes that beat though closed
And on her face that turns. 
 
Her smiles view him; the mirror shows
Him trembling in the nook
For he is plunging in her dream
So that their souls may hook. 
 
She speaks with him in sleep and sighs
While her heart's swelled veins drum:
-"O sweet Lord of my fairy nights,
Why comest thou not? Come!
 
Descend to me, mild Evening-star
Thou canst glide on a beam,
Enter my dwelling and my mind
And over my life gleam!"
 
And he listens and trembles and
Still more for her love craves
And as quick as the lightning he
Plunges into the waves. 
 
The water in that very spot
Moves rolling many rings
And out of the unknown, dark, depth
A superb young man springs. 
 
As on a threshold o'er the sill
His hasty steps he leads,
Holds in his hand a staff with, at
Its top, a crown of reeds!
 
A young Voivode he seems to be
With soft and golden hair;
A blue shroud binds in a knot on
His naked shoulder fair. 
 
The shade of his face is of wax
And thou canst see throughout -
A handsome dead man with live eyes
That throw their sparkles out. 
 
-"From my sphere hardly I come to
Follow thy call and thee,
The heaven is my father and
My mother is the sea. 
 
So that I could come to thy room
And look at thee from near
With my light reborn from waves my
Fate toward thee I steer. 
 
O come, my treasure wonderful
And thy world leave aside;
For I am Evening-star up from
And thou wouldst be my bride. 
 
In my palace of coral I'll
Take thee for evermore
And the entire world of the sea
Will kneel before thy door. "
 
-"O thou art beautiful as but
In dreams an angel shows,
The way though thou hast oped for me
For me's for ever close. 
 
Thy port and mien and speech are strange
Life thy gleams don't impart,
For I'm alive and thou art dead
And thy eyes chill my heart. "
 
* *
 
Days have past since: but Evening-star
Comes up againd and stays
Just as before, spreading o'er her
His clear, translucent rays. 
 
In sleep she would remember him
And, as before, her whole
Wish for the Master of the waves
Is clinching now her soul. 
 
-"Descend to me, mild Evening-star
Thou canst glide on a beam,
Enter my dwelling and my mind
And over my life gleam!"
 
He hears: and from the dire despair
Of such an woeful weird
He dies, and the heavens revolve
Where he has disappeared. 
 
Soon in the air flames ruddy spread,
The world in their grip hold;
A superb form the spasms of the
Chaotic valleys mold. 
 
On his locks of black hair he bears
His crown a fierce fire frames;
He floats as he really comes
Swimming in the sun's flames. 
 
His black shroud lets develop out
His arms marbly and hale;
He pensively and sadly brings
His face awfully pale. 
 
But his big wonderful eyes' gleam,
Chimerically deep,
Shows two unsatiated spasms
That but into dark peep. 
 
-"From my sphere hardly I come to
Follow thy voice, thy sight;
The bright sun is my father and
My mother is the night. 
 
O come, my treasure wonderful
And thy world leave aside
For I am Evening-star from up
And thou wouldst be my bride. 
 
O come, and upon thy blond hair
Crowns of stars I shall crowd,
And more that all of them, up there,
Thou wild look fair and proud. "
 
-"O thou art beautiful as but
In dreams a demon shows,
The way though hast oped for me
For me's for ever close. 
 
The depths of my breast ache from the
Desire of thy fierce love
My heavy, big eyes also ache
When into them thine shove". 
 
-"But how wouldst thou that I come down?
Know this - for, do I lie? -:
I am immortal, while thou art
One of those that must die!"
 
-"I hate big words, nor do I know
How to begin my plea;
And although thy discourse is clear
I don't understand thee. 
 
But if thou wantest my flamed love
And that would not be sham,
Come down on this temporal earth,
Be mortal as I am!"
 
-"I'd lose my immortality
For but one kiss of thine!
Well, I will show thee how much too
For thy fierce love I pine!
 
Yes, I shall be reborn from sin,
Receive another creed:
From that endlessness to which I
Am tied, I shall be freed!"
 
And out he went, he went, went out,
Loving a human fay,
He plucked himself off from the sky,
Went for many a day. 
 
* *
 
Meanwhile, the house-boy, Catalin,
Sly, and who often jests
When he's filling with wine the cups
Of the banqueting guests;
 
A page that carries step by step
The trail of the Queen's gown,
A wandering bastard, but bold
Like no one in the town;
 
His little cheek - a peony
That under the sun stews;
Watchful, just like a thief, he sneaks
In Catalina's views. 
 
-"How beautiful she grew" - thinks he -
"A flower just to pluck!
Now, Catalin, but now it is
Thy chance to try thy luck!"
 
And by the way, hurriedly, he
Corners that human fay:
-"What's with thee, Catalin? Let me
Alone and go thy way!"
 
-"No! I want thee to stay away
From thoughts that have no fun. 
I want to see thee only laugh,
Give me a kiss, just one!"
 
-"I don't know what it is about
And, believe me, retire!
But for one Evening-star up from
I've kept my strong desire!"
 
-"If thou dost not know I could show
Thee all about love's balm!
Only, don't give way to thy ire
And listen and be calm. 
 
So as the hunter throws the net
That many birds would harm,
When I'll stretch my left arm to thee,
Enlace me with thy arm. 
 
Under my eyes keep thine and don't
Let them move on their wheels
And if I lift thee by the waist
Thou must lift on thy heels. 
 
When I bend down my face, to hold
Thine up must be thy strife;
So, to each other we could throw
Sweet, eager, looks for life. 
 
And so that thou have about love
A knowledge true and plain,
When I stoop to kiss thee, thou must
Kiss me too and again. "
 
With much bewilderment her mind
The little boy's word fills,
And shyly and nicely now she
Wills not, and now she wills. 
 
And slowly she tells him:- "Since thy
Childhood I've known thy wit,
And as thou art and glib and small
My temper thou wouldst fit. 
 
But Evening-star sprung from the calm
Of the oblivion,
Though, gives horizon limitless
To the sea lone and dun. 
 
And secretly, I close my eyes
For my eyelash tears dim
When the waves of the sea go on
Travelling toward him. 
 
He shines with love unspeakable
So that my pains he'd leach,
But higher and higher soars, so
That his hand I'd ne'er reach. 
 
Sadly thrusts from the worlds which from
My soul his cold ray bar. . . 
I shall love him for ever and
For ever he'll rove far. 
 
Like the unmeasured steppes my days
Are deaf and wild, therefore,
But my nights spread a holy charm
I understand no more!"
 
-"Thou art a child! Let's go! Through new
Lands our own fate let's frame!
Soon they shall have lost our trace and
Forgot even our name!
 
We shall be both wise, glad and whole
As my judgement infers
And thou wouldst not long for thy kin
Nor yearn for Evening-stars!"
 
* *
 
Then Evening-star went out.  His wings
Grow, into heavens dash,
And on his way millenniums
Flee in less than a flash. 
 
Below, a depth of stars; above,
The heaven stars begem, -
He seems an endless lightning that
Is wandering through them. 
 
And from the Chaos' vales he sees
How in an immense ring
Round him, as in the World's first day,
Lights from their sources spring;
 
How, springing, they hem him like an
Ocean that swimming nears. . . 
He flees carried by his desire
Until he disappears. 
 
For that region is boundless and
Searching regards avoids
And Time strive vainly there to come
To life from the dark voids. 
 
'Tis nought.  'Tis, though, thirst that sips him
And which he cannot shun,
'Tis depth unknown, comparable
To blind oblivion. 
 
-"From that dark, choking, endlessness
Into which I am furled,
Father, undo me, and for e'er
Be praised in the whole world!
 
Ask anything for this new fate
For with mine I am through:
O hear my prayer, O my Lord, for
Thou gives life and death too. 
 
Take back my endlessness, the fires
That my being devour
And in return give me a chance
To love but for an hour!
 
I've come from Chaos; I'd return
To that my former nest. . . 
And as I have been brought to life
From rest, I crave for rest!"
 
-"Hyperion, that comest from
The depths with the world's swarm,
Do not ask signs and miracles
That have no name nor form. 
 
Thou wantest to count among men,
Take their resemblance vain;
But would now the whole mankind die
Men will be born again. 
 
But they are building on the wind
Ideals void and blind;
When human waves run into graves
New waves spring from behind. 
 
Fate's persecutions, lucky stars,
They only are to own;
Here we know neither time nor space,
Death we have never known. 
 
From the eternal yesterday
Drinks what to-day will drain
And if a sun dies on the sky
A sun quickens again. 
 
Risen as for ever, death though
Follows them like a thorn
For all are born only to die
And die to be reborn. 
 
But thou remainest wheresoe'er
Thou wouldst set down or flee. 
Thou art of the prime form and an
Eternal prodigy. 
 
Thou wilt now hear the wondrous voice
At whose bewitched singing
Mounts woody get skipping to skies
Into sea Island sinking!
 
Perhaps thou wilt more: show in deeds
Thy sense of justice, might,
Out of the earth's lumps make an empire
And settle on its height!
 
I can give thee millions of vessels
And hosts; thou, bear thy breath
O'er all the lands, o'er all the oceans:
I cannot give thee death. 
 
For whom thou wantest then to die?
Just go and see what's worth
All that is waiting there for thee
On that wandering earth!"
 
* *
 
His first dominion on the sky
Hyperion restores
And like in his first day, his light
All o'er again he pours. 
 
For it is evening and the night
Her duty never waives. 
Now the moon rises quietly
And shaking from the waves,
 
And upon the paths of the groves
Her sparkles again drone. . . 
Under the row of linden-trees
Two youths sit all alone. 
 
-"O darling, let my blessed ear feel
How thy heart's pulses beat,
Under the ray of thy eyes clear
And unspeakably sweet. 
 
With the charms of their cold light pierce
My thought's faery glades,
Pour an eternal quietness
On my passion's dark shades. 
 
And there, above, remain to stop
Thy woe's violet stream,
For thou art my first source of love
And also my last dream!"
 
Hyperion beholds how love
Their eyes equally charms:
Scarcely his arm touches her neck,
She takes him in her arms. 
 
The silvery blooms spread their smells
And their soft cascade strokes
The tops of the heads of both youths
With long and golden locks. 
 
And all bewitched by love, she lifts
Her eyes toward the fires
Of the witnessing Evening-star
And trusts him her desires:
 
-"Descend to me, mild Evening-star
Thou canst glide on a beam,
Enter my forest and my mind
And o'er my good luck gleam!"
 
As he did it once, into woods,
On hills, his rays he urges,
Guiding throughout so many wilds
The gleaming, moving, surges. 
 
But he falls not as he did once
From his height into swells:
-"What matters thee, clod of dust, if
'Tis me or some one else?
 
You live in your sphere's narrowness
And luck rules over you -
But in my steady world I feel
Eternal, cold and true!"
-----------------
Poezii
Romanian Voice



2 Comments

INTERVIEW SERIES - TEODORA DUMITRIU

1/8/2017

1 Comment

 
Picture
​Teodora Dumitriu was born and lives in Campina, Romania. Passions: children, books and English. Sometimes, she writes. 

INTERVIEW WITH TEODORA DUMITRIU

Welcome to Scarlet Leaf Review!

Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

Funnily enough, I used to be an engineer because I’ve always loved the poetry of mathematics too. Spent twenty-eight years in the field of Power Engineering. Switched this year to teaching English to small children – an old dream come true.

Q: Do you think that your school years have had an impact in your writing career? If so, what were you like at school?

School years have had a huge impact on my whole life. Teachers made me see the difference between doing the thing(s) you love and just doing your job. I used to be an avid reader and a curious kid anyway. School made me develop a fascination for the dynamics of teaching and learning, of giving and receiving. School years made me even more curious about the whole of existence.

Q: What are your future ambitions for your writing career?

Well, to begin with, I’m not yet a writer/poet – and my wish is to become one.

Q: Which poets have inspired you and how? What was their impact on your work or your literary perspective?

You know, I took the question very seriously and began to make a list: Rumi, Yeats, Neruda, Hafiz, Baudelaire, Robert Frost, T.S. Eliot, Sylvia Plath, Maya Angelou, Mary Oliver… and at some point the ridiculousness of the list made me laugh, feeling like a donkey rating and labeling birds’ voices in order to DESCRIBE the way they inspired it (the donkey) to sing. Then the hypocrisy of name-dropping made me sad - there are many non-famous poets whose names I can’t remember (out of laziness and carelessness - Internet era, everybody’s out there, so much to read and you just skip the names sometimes, go straight to the verses and then jump from one webpage to another, from one thing to another and can’t find your way back) but whose poems equally made me GASP.
Goodness me. ALL poets inspire(d) me – by making me ache with the wish of being able one day to make one poem that would make one person gasp. And then another. And another.
And if I were to pick only ONE poet that I love, that would be e. e. cummings – his poetry simply makes me ANGRY it wasn’t ME who wrote it! .

Q: So, would you mind telling us what you have written so far?

In English, PRECISELY 12 [sic] poems FINISHED (I’d add a LOL, the editor permitting). A bit more prolific  in Romanian.

Q: Where can we buy or see them?

Every poem I ever wrote so far is here, within The Scarlet Leaf Review.
 
Q: What are you working on at the minute?  What’s it about?

Trying to convince myself it’s the right time to try to find that splendidly unyielding frame of mind so as to stop procrastinating and begin thinking seriously about beginning to refurbish a moth-eaten writing called The Game.
 It’s a kind of patchwork prosetry which sort of sums up random thoughts that crossed my mind some times … based on rhymes - that are meant to distract the reader from noticing that there’s no structure, plot or reason and metaphors - to mask the author’s apprehension for precision.

Q: What makes you write? What’s the force behind taking your pen (or your keyboard) and put verses down?

 Hesse put it like this: “We fear death, we shudder at life's instability, we grieve to see the flowers wilt again and again, and the leaves fall, and in our hearts we know that we, too, are transitory and will soon disappear. When artists create pictures and thinkers search for laws and formulate thoughts, it is in order to salvage something from the great dance of death, to make something last longer than we do.”

Q: Where do your ideas come from? Or is it just the spur of the moment, a special feeling you experience or a specific conjuncture that offers you inspiration?

Funnily enough, sometimes i see pictures in a flash but look for words to paint them until the cows come home; some other times words just whizz by splashing against the canvas/paper like crazed colours, so fast so fast so fast that the ear/eye can’t keep up with the nonsensical mess... BUT these ones are the best sort – basically, in a few months/years they write themselves (you just have to find something productive to do meanwhile).

Q: How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?

I’m getting used to using fewer and fewer adjectives.

Q: In your opinion, what is the hardest thing about writing?

In English - DEFINITELY phrasal verbs.

Q: Now, what about the easiest thing about writing?

Hanging around, hands in pockets, in a state a total bliss, while an equally elated doppelganger scribbles, frenziedly, the BEST verses you’ve ever read. Usually, in the morning, they (the verses) look different.

Q: Do you ever get writer’s Block and if so do you have any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?

Oh, I get it all the time. My method is simple, low-cost and effective: cross out-replace, cross out-replace cross out-replace until it sounds really TERRIBLE and you get REALLY mad. Then tear up the piece of paper (very, VERY small bits) and SWEAR you won’t be doing the bloody thing EVER again. Then QUIT (for a few days/weeks/years). Do the dishes, make babies, walk the dog, get a PROPER job. You won’t believe the SURGE of inspiration this method brings forth. Oops, I’ve disclosed THE tip. Yes, I do use PAPER. The advantage being that i can destroy the abhorred words THEMSELVES and not another innocent object that happens to be around – which makes the ritual, as stated before, HIGHLY effective.

Q: Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors? For your own reading, do you prefer eBooks or traditional paper/hard back books?

Used to be a voracious reader; not anymore – who knows why. Twain, Vonnegut, Thackeray, Tolstoy, Twain, Rushdie, Hesse, Voltaire, Twain, Coelho, Huxley, Tolkien, Twain. All the aforementioned poets. Oh, and Mark Twain.
Paper books FOREVER (nothing whatsoever against Kindle, BUT).
 
Q: What book/s are you reading at present?

Am re-re-re-re-re-reading Narcissus and Goldmund. And it’s only the interviewer’s fault!
Seriously now, NOTHING compares with re-re-re-re-re-re-reading a book that you love.
 
Q: What is your favorite motivational phrase? What is your favorite positive saying?

Huck Finn’s "All right, then, I'll go to hell”!
 

Q: What is your favorite book and why?

“Narcissus and Goldmund” – Hermann Hesse.
Because it’s absolutely perfect – the form complimenting the content and vice-versa, in the way described by the author himself: “Art was a union of the father and mother worlds, of mind and blood. It might start in utter sensuality and lead to total abstraction; then again it might originate in pure concept and end in bleeding flesh. Any work of art that was truly sublime, not just a good juggler's trick; that was filled with the eternal secret, like the master's madonna; every obviously genuine work of art had this dangerous, smiling double face, was male-female, a merging of instinct and pure spirituality.”
 
Q: What is your favorite quote?

It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt. -  Mark Twain


Q: Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?

Mark Twain. I’d like to hear him speak.

Thank you for taking the time to talk to us!

​

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INTERVIEW SERIES - DARRELL HERBERT

1/7/2017

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INTERVIEW WITH DARRELL HERBERT
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Darrell Herbert is a nationally recognized poet and author. He is a gold key recipient, as well as a recipient of a National Silver Medal, presented by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards of 2014. He was selected as a final inclusion for the "Best Teen Writing of 2014," by Hannah Jones. He has been published twenty-three poems so far. His poetry has been featured in the likes of Writers- Black Artists Connected Blog, Yellow Chair Review, Poetic Treasures Magazine, Section 8 Magazine, Media Blast Press, as well as in HangTime Magazine and The Lemonade Stand Magazine three consecutive times respectively


Welcome to Scarlet Leaf Review!


Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

Darrell Herbert: I am a Pisces, and I write for those who feel misunderstood, ignored, bullied, unheard, etc.


Q: Do you think that your school years have had an impact in your writing career? If so, what were you like at school?

Darrell Herbert: Yeah, in school, I would often incorporate my creativity in my assignments, and/or presentations  


Q: What are your future ambitions for your writing career?

Darrell Herbert: I would love to get more recognition for my writing. However, I often times hate the attention that comes with gaining recognition for my writing because I am an introvert

Q: Which poets have inspired you and how? What was their impact on your work or your literary perspective?

Darrell Herbert: My favorite poet is Sylvia Plath. Her impact on my writing is clearly shown. She had a way of putting words together, and I could relate to her feelings of isolation, rejection, and resentment towards certain aspects of her life involving her writing 
 

Q: So, would you mind telling us what you have written so far?

Darrell Herbert: I am a nationally recognized poet and author. I am a gold key recipient, as well as a recipient of a National Silver Medal, presented by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards of 2014. I was selected as a final inclusion for the "Best Teen Writing of 2014," by Hannah Jones. My poetry has been featured in the likes of Writers- Black Artists Connected Blog, Yellow Chair Review, Poetic Treasures Magazine, Section 8 Magazine, Woman of P.O.W.E.R. blog, Media Blast Press, as well as in HangTime Magazine and The Lemonade Stand Magazine three consecutive times respectively

Q: Where can we buy or see them?

Darrell Herbert: You can find my poetry in "Best Teen Writing of 2014," by Hannah Jones, Writers- Black Artists Connected Blog, Yellow Chair Review, Poetic Treasures Magazine, Section 8 Magazine, Woman of P.O.W.E.R. blog, Media Blast Press, as well as in HangTime Magazine and The Lemonade Stand Magazine

Q: What are you working on at the minute?  What’s it about? (*if relevant)

Darrell Herbert: I am currently working on writing more poetry, recording more songs, writing songs for other musicians, among other projects

 
Q: When did you decide to become a poet? What was the decisive factor or you just took a pen and starting writing poems?

Darrell Herbert: I decided to become a poet because I felt ignored, misunderstood, lonely, and isolated. And my decisive factor was when I wrote my first writing on my wall using black marker

Q: What makes you write? What’s the force behind taking your pen (or your keyboard) and put verses down?

Darrell Herbert: What makes me write is my experiences. Whether the focus be about relationships, societal issues, or other topics I personally write about

Q: Do you write full-time or part-time? Do you have a special time to write or do you write every day, 5 days a week or as and when?

Darrell Herbert: I write whenever I feel like it. I usually write during an emotional time in my life, or when I want to bring up certain topics 


Q: Where do your ideas come from? Or is it just the spur of the moment, a special feeling you experience or a specific conjuncture that offers you inspiration?

Darrell Herbert: My ideas come from my emotions. I am a Pisces. Therefore, I tend to be more emotional, as opposed to other people. But, that is okay because I'd rather express myself through my writings

Q: How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?

Darrell Herbert: I have evolved creatively by listening to musicians such as Revibe, Last Dinosaurs, The Drums, Rich Hil, the Live From Underground collective, Purity Ring, FTHRSN, Kali Uchis, Odd Future, Melody's Echo Chamber, The Streets, Electric Guest, Grizzly Bear, I Am Abomination, Rosangelica Lopez, King Krule, Loveable Rogues, The Crew, French K, Jon Bap, Beach Fossils, Jamee Cornella, Daisy Hamel-Buffa, Freelance Whales, Panda Bear, Animal Collective, B.R.E., Angeline Sol, AJR, Matt & Kim, MVSCLES, Local Natives, Section Boys, Kuru, Tanasia, DIIV, Siddeeq Haneef, Steve Lacy, Lo Sè, I Used To Be A Sparrow, Point Point, Useless Dave, Born Joy Dead, Soul Monsters, Havana House Party, Sol Stones, Vante, The Cads, and Suede Islands
 
Q: In your opinion, what is the hardest thing about writing?

Darrell Herbert: I believe the hardest thing about writing is word choice

Q: Now, what about the easiest thing about writing?

Darrell Herbert: I believe the easiest thing about writing is letting it out 
 
Q: Do you ever get writer’s Block and if so do you have any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?

Darrell Herbert: I do get writer's block. And just listen to other kinds of music. Broaden your horizons   
 
Q: Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors? For your own reading, do you prefer eBooks or traditional paper/hard back books?

Darrell Herbert: My favorite authors include Sylvia Plath, Ezra Pound, Staceyann Chin, Tupac Shakur, and Darrell Herbert. I am an avid reader of confessional poetry. And I prefer traditional books 

Q: What book/s are you reading at present?

Darrell Herbert: "In Pain," by Darrell Herbert

Q: Do you proofread/edit all your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?

Darrell Herbert: I do proofread/edit all of my books

Q: Who edited your last book and how did you select him/her?

Darrell Herbert: I edited my last book

Q: Tell us about the covers of your books. How did it/they come about?

Darrell Herbert: The cover for my book actually came from staring at the floor
 
Q: What advice would you give to your younger self?

Darrell Herbert: Speak up

Q: Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?

Darrell Herbert: Sylvia Plath and Kurt Cobain. They had a huge impact on my writing style

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Darrell Herbert: Stop worrying about what other people think. Love yourself. Love your writings

Q: How can readers discover more about you and you work?

Darrell Herbert: Readers can discover more about me by reading my poetry. Each poem is a different part of me. Therefore, more information about my experiences are constantly being updated

Facebook: Darrell Herbert
Facebook Page: Darrell Herbert
Instagram: tales_life
Tumblr: darrellherbert
Vimeo: Darrell Herbert
​

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INTERVIEW SERIES - NGOZI OLIVIA OSUOHA

1/7/2017

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INTERVIEW WITH NGOZI OLIVIA OSUOHA
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Ngozi Olivia Osuoha is a young Nigerian poet/ writer and a graduate of Estate Management. She has some experience in banking and broadcasting. She has published some works abroad in some foreign magazines in Ghana, Liberia, India and Canada, among others. She enjoys writing.



Welcome to Scarlet Leaf Review!

 
Q1: Tell us a little about yourself and your background?
 
Born and bred in my hometown Nkwerre. Raised by great teachers, i have three male and two female siblings. The fourth child but second daughter of my parents. A Nigerian and a Christian. I have been writing for more than fifteen years. My home is about ink.
I love, respect and salute teachers, especially the old school ones. Those who heard and had it tough and rough, harnessing heavy heads and handling harzardious hands.
I want people to love and admire the teaching profession again.
 
 
Q: Do you think that your school years have had an impact in your writing career? If so, what were you like at school?
 
Yes. My School years really impacted on my writing carreer. I finished from the Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri, Imo State where i obtained an HND in Estate Management.
Then, i was once the vice president for my local government students association,
I was once my departmental vice president,
I was the vice chairman for Departmental Vice Presidents Association (DEVA) a new body we nearly hatched,
I was a poet/presenter at the mass communication studio, polynek fm
I anchored the swearing in programme of the Students'Union Government behind my set,
I paired with the School Orator Dr. Nnamdi Anumihe at some occasions,
I did a pamphlet for the Rector, Engr. O. I. Nwankwo,
I interviewed a Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Osuagwu on air, a representive of the then Education Minister, Dr. Igwe Ajah Nwachukwu, at NACOSTE
I took the citation for a black American Miss Claudia Remy Thompson who came for ICT training,
I presented a lecture on DREAMS at a departmental picnic and crowned the pioneer Miss Estate Management,
At the NYSC Orientation Camp, i was the OBS major writer and newscaster,
And a few other things. I think my school years really helped me.
 
 
Q: Were you good at English or like Einstein you excel now in a field that was a nightmare for you as a student?

I was not "good" in English. In fact, till now i am not "good". I want to be excellent, i wish to be an amazing polyglot, not just being good at English language.
 
 
Q: What are your future ambitions for your writing career?

I want to be read by everyone. I want to be a household poet/writer. I want to leave a footprint that no one can ever  duplicate.
 
Q: Which poets have inspired you and how? What was their impact on your work or your literary perspective?
 
As an Anglican, the hymn book ministers to me. I do not know those poets and hymnists but they always inspire me. I understand hymns in a crazily different way.
However, the social media has a bunch of great talents.
 
 
Q: Now, what about the easiest thing about writing?

The easiest thing about writing is picking up my pen and the hardest is dropping it.
 
Q: Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors? For your own reading, do you prefer eBooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
 
I do not really read. But i like Chinua Achebe, Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, William Shakespeare and others.
 
 
Q: Do you proofread/edit all your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?
 
I proofread my works by myself and edit them, for now.
 
 
Q: Where do your ideas come from? Or is it just the spur of the moment, a special feeling you experience or a specific conjuncture that offers you inspiration?

Ideas come from everywhere and everything but the primary source is God.
 
 
I love poetry. I have written countless works like...
Letter to my teacher
Letter to Mandela
Politics, my wayward brother
Politics, a tetra-headed dragon
Rape a desecrating monster
Religion angel lucifer
Ink and root
Come home beloved Chibok
Extravagant epistle to my purple mum
Mum my golden dove
The stinking holiday
Kinsmen
July 19th
Feeling like a celebrity
Africa recounts
................just the few i can recall now.
 
THE TRANSFORMATION TRAIN AND LETTER TO MY UNBORN.....two pieces though unpublished, my longest rhymes so far....358 and 560 verses respectively.
A whole lot of unpublished works. Writing is life. Life is writing. Living is a book.
 
Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.
 

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INTERVIEW SERIES - MOSES CHUKWUEMEKA DANIEL

1/6/2017

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​My name is Moses Chukwuemeka Daniel,  I am from Nigeria, Africa.  I'm a teenage poet, I love writing and I sing too.  My poems have been published in some  online journals and magazines.

INTERVIEW WITH MOSES CHUKWUEMEKA DANIEL

Welcome to Scarlet Leaf Review!

Q1: Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

A: My name is Moses Chukwuemeka Daniel, I am from Ebonyi state Nigeria ( the southern part of Nigeria ) west Africa. I  am the fifth child of a family of nine. I was born in the year 1997 in Rivers state Nigeria where my parents and siblings all reside. I started writing two years ago 2014 and i hope my pen never drops. I also sing and sketch too, although i decided to just concentrate on writing and singing for now.  Some of my works have been published on foreign sites like Dawuro Africa Ghana,  tuck magazine Canada and off course scarletleaf Canada *smiles*

Q2: What are your future ambitions for your writing career?

A:.I like every writer as i  wish to be a genius with the pen,  i  want to be able to express,  like an eagle i  want to soar, i want to make mistakes too and then make up for them with hardwork and dedication. I hope to meet the future with cheers and exuberance as i write tenaciously .

Q3:What are you working on at the moment?  What's it about (if relevant)?

A: I'm currently working on a book, my first book, i haven't got a title yet but i think it's leading to one soon, I'm taking it bit by bit because it's my first book, i  can't say much about it for now hopefully when it gets older.

Q4: when did you decide to become a poet?  What was the decisive factor or you just took a pen and started writing poems?

A:.First of all i wasn't borne with poetry,  i  mean no one was,  just like everyone else i grew up loving it,  actually i  found myself in  poetry after high school ( we call it secondary school in Nigeria ) when i met a poet on Facebook then i knew i could not only love literature and stand infront of the book but also be the pen.

Q5: what makes you write? What's the force behind taking your pen and put verses down?

A: Two things actually,  the past and the future,  the past in the sense that it had no good stories to tell home about my education, i had some sad experiences that sometimes makes me want to write out my feelings. And the  future that is always far but very near, i don't stop wishing and writing even though i  know the future is now .

Q6: Where do your ideas come from?  Or is it just the spur of the moment,  a special feeling you experience or a specific conjunction that offers you inspiration?

A: For me i believe everything is an inspiration, everything is worth writing about,  words form lines, lines make verses / stanzas and verses/ stanzas produce poetry. So i write A.T.M ( All The Moment) .

Q7: How do you think you've evolved creatively?

A: Creativity is how much one knows and how much one is willing to know, I'm always working, sharing and exchanging ideas with other writers. Creatively i can't rate myself,I've not gotten there yet.

Q8: In your opinion, what's the hardest thing about writing?

A: A very crutial question, but i think everything about writing is so difficult and exasperating too, only being clueless is the worst thing about writing.

Q9: What about the easiest thing?

A: Starting a particular piece.

Q10: Do you read much? Who's your favorite authors?

A: Yes, but lately I've not being reading like before,
My favorite authors are Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Q11: what is your favorite book and why?

A: purple hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
It's a very education book, an eye opener, the story is  about the life of  a Nigerian family with a dictatorate father, a very strict man named Eugine, his very tame wife Beatrice.  The story revolves around their daughter kambili whom the writer uses to tell the story and her brother Jaja the hero of the story.

Q12: where can you see yourself in five(5) years?

A: I see myself finishing my university education with distinction . I see a better part of myself, i see myself having my anthology, i see myself exploring my deepest thoughts and inspiration after acquiring more knowledge from school.

Q13: What is your favorite quote?

A: "Some people are too poor that all they have is money "

Q14:which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?

A:Bob Marley
He is a great Singer ,his song were so impactful  in the society. He sang facts that were acknowledged amongst continents, it excelled because of it's vast influence and knowledge, he was very candid and  overall he preached love as the greatest.

Q15: what advice would you give to aspiring writers?

A:  they should be true, they should read avidly, never stop writing, never give up  and always follow inspiration whenever it comes.

Q16:How can readers discover more about you and your works ?

A: I post my works sometimes on Facebook and instagram and I currently have two videos on YouTube;  Facebook:  Moses Chukwuemeka, instagram:  Daniel_Roars. 
​

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INTERVIEW SERIES - KEN ALLAN DRONSFIELD

1/5/2017

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Ken Allan Dronsfield is a published poet who has recently been nominated for The Best of the Net and 2 Pushcart Awards for Poetry in 2016. His poetry has been published world-wide in various publications throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. Ken loves thunderstorms, walking in the woods at night, and spending time with his cat Willa. Ken's new book, "The Cellaring", a collection of haunting, paranormal, weird and wonderful poems, has been released and is available through Amazon.com. He is the co-editor of the poetry anthology titled, Moonlight Dreamers of Yellow Haze available at Amazon.com. A second anthology, Dandelion in a Vase of Roses will be released around the first of the new year.

INTERVIEW WITH KEN ALLAN DRONSFIELD

Welcome to Scarlet Leaf Review!
 

Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

I was born in the ‘50s in the Northeast corner of the US. I was brought up in the small town of Hampton New Hampshire, the oldest of 6 kids.
 
Q: Do you think that your school years have had an impact in your writing career? If so, what were you like at school?

I believe that ALL experiences, whether school in the ‘60s, work, or play, parental support, all contribute to my writing as a career.
 
Q: Were you good at English or like Einstein you excel now in a field that was a nightmare for you as a student?

I was basically ‘invisible’ during my school years. I was pretty shy and didn’t say much. English was a pretty good subject although, at the time, I had NO idea I would decide to fall back upon it and make it a huge part of my life today.
 
Q: What are your future ambitions for your writing career?

I want to continue writing poetry and short stories, and strive to keep those reading my work fully entertained and wanting more…..to be recognized by my peers with my recent Nomination for “Best of the Net” Poetry is a dream come true and I look forward to what tomorrow might bring!
 
Q: Which poets have inspired you and how? What was their impact on your work or your literary perspective?

I would have to say, Edgar Allan Poe, Sylvia Plath, Leonard Cohen, Shakespeare and as writers go it would be Stephen King.
 
Q: So, would you mind telling us what you have written so far?

I am the co editor for the recent anthology, “Moonlight Dreamers of Yellow Haze” available at Amazon.com
I have been seeking publication of my Poetry and Short Stories since 13 November 2015 and have thus far had 280 officially published pieces all over the Internet and in Print/Anthology venues.
 
Q: Where can we buy or see them?

Amazon.com for the Anthology, Moonlight Dreamers of Yellow Haze, priced @ $13.95
 
Q: What are you working on at the minute?  What’s it about? (*if relevant)

I’m now co-editor on the new Anthology, “Dandelion in a Vase of Rose”, with my dear friend and Editor Michael Lee Johnson.
I’m working on my own book titled, “The Cellaring” which will be available through Amazon just before Halloween.
 
Q: What genre are your books and what draws you to this genre?


I’ve always enjoyed horror, dark work, paranormal, etc….although I also write many poems on Nature.
 
 
Q: When did you decide to become a poet? What was the decisive factor or you just took a pen and starting writing poems?

I started writing at about 13 years old. I had a guitar, learned to play and decided to write my own lyrics for songs….it blossomed into poetry and after 40 years, I’ve decided to write full time.
 
 
Q: What makes you write? What’s the force behind taking your pen (or your keyboard) and put verses down?

This is a good question, I would say I have a lot to express, something inside gives me the love of the written word that I share it with everyone.The force, I would say, is a blessing.
 
 
Q: Do you write full-time or part-time? Do you have a special time to write or do you write every day, 5 days a week or as and when?

I write full time.
 
Q: Where do your ideas come from? Or is it just the spur of the moment, a special feeling you experience or a specific conjuncture that offers you inspiration?

My ideas come from experiences in my past, and everything from television, movies, books, conversations with people and, yes, even conversations with myself, my cats or dog….
 
Q: How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?

I’ve work very long and hard to branch my creativity from simple rhyming poetry to special formatted free verse work.
 
Q: Do you ever get writer’s Block and if so do you have any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?

Yes, every writer will experience ‘writer’s block’. I use art to help me work through it. I find a picture, and starting from left to right, I write short observations of what I see in the picture, ie: the birds on the branch, snow along the creek, sun behind the pines…..etc….and then I put it all together, fill in areas that need it and work my way out of the block and into a nice poem.
 
Q: Tell us about the covers of your books. How did it/they come about?

“The Moonlight Dreamers of Yellow Haze”, ‘Dandelion in a Vase of Roses” and my own book, “The Cellaring” covers were made by me and my Digital Art program.
 
Yes, it can make or break the book. The old adage, “a picture is worth a thousand words” is the truth, the potential buyer looks at the cover first….imagination kicks in, and they’re ready to buy the book if that cover ‘catches’ their eye….
 
Q: How do you relax?

I relax by going outside and sitting under the tree with a cold drink. I love walking in the woods at night and find great peace watching Thunderstorms.
 
Q: What is your favorite motivational phrase? What is your favorite positive saying?

My own quote has always been my favorite:  “When the Mind has Left; then go Write” written and copyrighted in 2011.
 
Q: What is your favorite quote?

“Freedom is being yourself without needing anyone’s permission”. Ken Allan Dronsfield, 2012
 

Q: Where can you see yourself in 5 years-time?

Perhaps looking at a nomination for the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry.
 
 
Q: Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?
Poe, I would LOVE to meet him and just listen to him talk over a drink.
 
Q: How can readers discover more about you and you work?

Website: arevnantpoet@wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kend1
Twitter: @KenKadfield
Lnkedin: Ken Allan Dronsfield

Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.

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INTERVIEW SERIES - RICK HARTWELL

1/4/2017

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​Rick Hartwell is a retired middle school teacher (remember the hormonally-challenged?) living in Southern California. He believes in the succinct, that the small becomes large; and, like the Transcendentalists and William Blake, that the instant contains eternity. Given his “druthers,” if he’s not writing, Rick would rather still be tailing plywood in a mill in Oregon. He can be reached atrdhartwell@gmail.com. 

INTERVIEW WITH RICK HARTWELL

Welcome to Scarlet Leaf Review!
 
Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

I was in the military for twelve-plus years then left for my wife and I to take care of our disabled daughter; she’s turning forty this year and still lives with us. I then worked in telecommunications for sixteen years, was laid off and went back to school to get my teaching certificate. I then taught 7th and 8th grade language arts and reading for some seventeen-plus years and retired in 2010.

 
Q: Do you think that your school years have had an impact in your writing career? If so, what were you like at school?

I was a hood, no doubt about it: white tee-shirt with a pack of Pal Malls rolled up in the sleeve, blue jeans, white socks, and black penny-loafers; it was the early sixties. Never did homework and was an alcoholic. However, I stealthily submitted poetry to one of my English teachers; so much for an image.
 
Q: Were you good at English or like Einstein you excel now in a field that was a nightmare for you as a student?

Yes, I was very good at English, but mostly because I was an avid reader, not because I really applied myself. I also had four years of mechanical drafting – way before the use of CAD/CAM – as an elective and loved the challenge of clean lines and detail; can’t reconcile this with writing but oh well. When I finally went back to college, I received a B.A. in English Literature and eventually a M.A. in English.
 
Q: What are your future ambitions for your writing career?

I have been associated with the Inland Area Writing Project, University of California, Riverside, since 1999 and support their efforts. Poetry, essays and short stories are my focus. I would love to have some poetry collected and published in book form.
 
Q: Which poets have inspired you and how? What was their impact on your work or your literary perspective?

Blake, Rimbaud, Thoreau (yes, he was a poet!), Whitman, Ginsberg, Carver (from whom I was fortunate enough to take a class in poetry at California State University, Santa Cruz) – these were all early influences and their eclectic approach undoubtedly influenced me. Perhaps out of favor now, but the Transcendentalists led me to try to describe the minute detail as representative of the larger, universal whole.

Q: When did you decide to become a poet?

What was the decisive factor or you just took a pen and starting writing poems? I was a typical “hidden poet” in high school, but then lay fallow until after I left the Army. I then returned to journaling and writing in college and particularly when I started teaching; perhaps the hormones floating around middle school prompted a resurgence in my poetry!
 
Q: Do you write full-time or part-time? Do you have a special time to write or do you write every day, 5 days a week or as and when?

I am an avid journalist, so I guess I’d consider that writing daily. I then extract from my journal to “create” poems. I think I was greatly influenced towards this approach when I did my Master’s thesis on The Wild Not Less Than the Good: Henry David Thoreau as Transcendental Poet. Thoreau was a wonderful journalist and could often “lift” poems and full narrative paragraphs straight from his journal.
 

Q: In your opinion, what is the hardest thing about writing?

Revision, revision, revision! I often let a first draft alone for weeks before I come back to it.
 
Q: Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors? For your own reading, do you prefer eBooks or traditional paper/hard back books?

I read perhaps a book a day on average, I admit that this often interferes with writing, except for the journal, and then will take a day out to review the journal. Hard to think of favorite authors without excluding someone that I previously read to excess, but: Henry David Thoreau, George Eliot, Thomas Hardy, John Steinbeck, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Ursula K. Le Guin, Wallace Stegner, LeoTolstoy, Kate Chopin, V.S. Naipaul, Yasunari Kawabata, Octavia E. Butler, Edward Abbey, Aldous Huxl;ey, Thornton Wilder, Evelyn Waugh, George Orwell, Albert Camus, Mary Doria Russel, Nikos Kazantzakis, Sarah Orne Jewett, James Ramsey Ullman, Willa Cather, Phillip K. Dick, Pearl S. Buck, and so on; I have often latched onto an author and read their oeuvre to e exhaustion. If you notice any pattern, let me know because I certainly don’t.
 
Q: Do you let the book stew – leave it for a month and then come back to it to edit?

Definitely! This is a must for me.
 
Q: What is your favorite book and why?

I would have to say Thoreau’s Walden and Emerson’s Collected Essays. I’ve reread both so many times I have lost count.
 
Q: What is your favorite quote?

When hate is in the seeds, you can only harvest weeds. Ernst Jünger, The Glass Bees

In joined hands there is hope; in a clenched fist, none. Victor Hugo, Toilers of the Sea

An eye for an eye only ends up making the world blind. Mohandas Gandhi, The Mahatma
 
 
Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.
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ANNIVERSARY EDITION JANUARY 2017

1/1/2017

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HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!
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Welcome to our anniversary edition!

Between January 1 and January 15, we will have the pleasure to offer you a beautiful literary piece every day. Please, come back every day to see what we have in store for you.

On January 15, we will have a special edition and only on 16, we will offer you the regular issue of our literary magazine. 

We've had a crazy year together. We've been spoiled - many excellent authors chose to share their work with us. We hope 2017 will bring the same: the best. 

We, the staff of the review, want to thank you all: readers and authors. 

Have a great 2017 ahead of you!

SLR staff

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    Scarlet Leaf Review No 1, 2020

    Scarlet Leaf Magazine: Scarlet Leaf Review No 1, 2020

    Find out more on MagCloud

    ISSN 2369-8446

    Monthly Issues - 15th 

    ​Scarlet Leaf Publishing House - Publisher 

    Roxana Nastase, Editor In Chief

    Maria Basca,
    Editor
     

    Louis-Daniel Boulanger, Editor

    Maria Bucataru, Creative Editor 

     * founded on May 25 2012
    * based in Toronto

    * brings to public various books: novels, short stories, poetry, English Grammar and children books

    Mission:
    to help emerging authors and poets make their works known, while offerring quality works to our customers

    To bring joy to readers everywhere. 

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