In The Distance Between Us jim exposes readers to his own unique perspective on life as he reflects on years in both past and present in a refined yet honest style with a few hints of humor. The book is structured into 3 distinct sections with quotes from figures like publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti to help set the tone of each section and also as a nod to his favorite literary influences as well.
However I really think the first section utilized this element the best as jim uses it to connect an overall theme of sex and intimacy in a very interesting way as jim boldly embraces his age with such as "it’s halted by an arthritic twinge or a potassium shortage leg" in a poem that's titled Explicit Sex and other writes about "weathered bodies" or "orthopedic Stilettos". Which he cleverly uses to add in a rich blend of humor and unconventional sensuality that ultimately drives home the endearing message that love is timeless and it should be appreciated during every phase of life. Although this is not without heartbreak as well as the title write The Distance Between Us as jim tearfully states "Today I wish you hadn’t stayed" after his partner recollects distant memories about their relationship.The 2nd section talks a lot about jim's past and his time during military service as in his words "we really weren't built for peace" a sentiment that was demonstrated in several different writes including one of my favorite poems in the book called Calibrations where he discuses that targets were something that didn't shoot back or move to give his reader a reminder of the darker side of war. However it also recounts other little stories from his life as well like recovering from a hangover and seeing Spiderman curtains or watching a one winged bird at his feeder before transitioning into the third section which focuses more on modern times.
In my opinion the first section was the most concise with its theme while the second and third section had a more of a relaxed flow that was slightly harder to follow but certain elements such as his poems about nuns and literary references throughout his writes that tied into every section and ultimately helped the book all tie together very nicely. Overall I think that The Distance Between us is a very smartly crafted book that offers jim's readers a diverse selection of his work and it features many memorable moments that were definitely worth reading.
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You can find this book at www.coldriverpress.com
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