My Love Song to Jack

MY LOVE SONG TO JACK

In about one week, our new book, JACKJACK & JUNE BUG: A Love Song in Poems and Posts by Marilyn June Coffey and Jack Loscutoff, will be out.

I'm so excited.

My editor, SANDRA WENDEL, and I have finished playing tug of war about words. She has such a sharp eye. The text of JACKJACK & JUNE BUG is all spiffed up for its public debut Tuesday, January 12, at House of Loom.

Hot Shops Art Center artist PAULA WALLACE has finished her adroit watercolor illustrations, swatches of olive, powder blues, tans, and crimsons. Now RACHEL MOORE, my graphic designer, is busy laying out the pages, blending texts and illustrations, nudging a poem here or there to make room for Paula's watercolors. 

The cover's done! I haven't seen the final version yet, but I know it looks great for LISA PELTO, president of Concierge Marketing, and I huddled over Rachel's drafts, examining possible typefaces, choosing the neatest cover, of course.

JACKJACK & JUNE BUG depicts the story of a strong adult love relationship that's severed by death, but the book doesn't wallow in gloom. On the contrary, a distinct element of humor runs throughout the posts about grief and grieving and the sometimes steamy love poems.

Altogether, it's "a heart warming story" notes George Lauby, Editor, The North Platte Bulletin.

This new book will be unveiled Tuesday, January 12, 7 p.m., at HOUSE OF LOOM, 1012 S 10th St., Omaha,. Helping me celebrate the work will be Omaha poets Lorraine Duggin, David P. Hufford, and Deirdre Evans. They will share their work and talk a bit about when they knew Jack and me.

One week later, Tuesday, January 19, 7 p.m., MR TOAD, 1002 Howard St., Omaha. ERIK CAMPBELL and I will read our poetry at the Imaginary Gardens Reading directed by poet Michael Skau.

As soon as it's released, JACKJACK & JUNE BUG can be purchased through Concierge Marketing, Amazon or other dealers. For an autographed copy, see me at any of my public presentations.