For Immediate Release

Abacus: Prose poems, haibun and short poems by Gary LeBel, Published by Modern English Tanka Press

Abacus: Prose poems, haibun and short poems by Gary LeBel is a tremendous collection of his exquisite verse, accompanied by his own artwork reproduced in full color. This is the perfect introduction to this renowned Georgia poet and artist.

Baltimore, Maryland – September 30, 2008 – Abacus: Prose poems, haibun and short poems, by Gary LeBel, has been published as a letter-size PDF ebook by Modern English Tanka Press. A perfect introduction to this renowned Georgia poet and artist, Abacus is a tremendous collection of his exquisite verse, accompanied by his own artworks.

"Abacus, the first public collection of Gary LeBel’s poetry and art, stands out as one of the most unique literary productions of 2008. For sheer scope and variety alone, one is unlikely to find its equal. One hundred and sixteen tanka sequences or sets, haibun, prose poems and tanka prose adorn its 230 plus pages, along with 40 full-color illustrations, the whole orchestrated in nine thematic sections. ... I do not know if LeBel’s voice is the voice of tomorrow or if he will stand tanka, haibun or poetry on its head. I do know that his voice is compelling, one that we should cherish and, as such, I recommend Abacus to the reader as one of the best books of 2008 in both the tanka and haibun genres." —Jeffrey Woodward, from his review of Abacus for Modern English Tanka

Gary LeBel lives in the greater Atlanta, Georgia area. His interpretations of the Japanese literary forms of tanka and haibun (in addition to western-style poems and short stories) have been published in various journals in the United States, Great Britian and Japan. His haiga, haiku poems with images, can be seen in Reeds Contemporary Haiga, Modern Haiga and in the pages (and occasionally on the covers) of Modern Haiku.

For media inquiries or to arrange an interview with the authors, contact Gary LeBel by e-mail at glebel@bellsouth.net. Publisher information at: www.modernenglishtankapress.com.

This book is available from www.Lulu.com/modernenglishtanka. Complete information and a purchase link are available online at www.modernenglishtankapress.com. Price: $9.95 USD. ISBN 978-0-9817691-6-5. PDF ebook. 232 pages, 8.5" x 11" format. 63.5 MB file. 38 illustrations

Modern English Tanka Press is an independent equity publishing house in Baltimore, Maryland, dedicated to producing books and periodicals of lasting literary value, especially poetry. A family business, we treat our customers and partners in publishing like family. We use modern print-on-demand production and distribution methods. Our special mission is to promote the tanka form of poetry and to educate newcomers about this most ancient poetic form. We operate www.TankaCentral.com, the internet megasite for tanka, with its popular "Tanka News" blog, and the poetry web hub, www.ShortVerse.com.

Contact:

Denis M. Garrison, owner
Modern English Tanka Press
443-802-1249
Email to dmg@themetpress.com.
www.modernenglishtankapress.com www.modernenglishtanka.com  www.atlaspoetica.com
www.shortverse.com www.tankacentral.com  www.tankanews.com  www.modernhaiga.com  

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