Kingston Author Releases a New Collection of Audacious Poetry That Breathes Compassion and Rages against What Disconnects Us in Her New Book, Eden Redefined

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kingston author releases a new collection of audacious poetry that breathes compassion and rages against what disconnects us in her new book, Eden Redefined.

Kingston, ON – October 31, 2022

In her latest collection of audacious poetry, Eden Redefined, Christine Bode bares her soul, teasing every sense by revealing her life as an existential mud wrestler. Eden Redefinedintimately contemplates grief, human vampires, spiritual growth, love in its many guises, pandemic isolation, and the madness of the 21^st century.

Born and raised in Kingston, Ontario, Christine Bode’s first poem, about Shaun Cassidy, was published by Scholastic Book Services in Rock’s Biggest Ten and in 16 Magazine in 1978. Encouraged by a letter from Bob Geldof in 1987, mentored in the 2000s by Companion of the Order of Canada, Patrick Watson, and a review of her first poetry book, Eden Refugee, by Grammy Award-winning filmmaker Tom DiCillo, who said, “…it is blatantly obvious to me that Christine Bode has created an achingly beautiful piece of art here,” she continues to write poems with “the pulse of life in them.”

Bode’s work has been published in The Kingston Whig-Standard, Toronto Sun, and various American poetry presses such as New York Poetry Foundation, Inc., The Poetry Center, and American Poets Society.

“I have been writing poetry and prose since I was a teenager as a means of self-expression and self-therapy. I have learned that no matter our life circumstances, we can develop resilience and grow spiritually through the creative process,” says Bode.

An empath and truth seeker, she encourages people to question everything while remaining authentic. Christine has worked for fourteen years as a copy editor and social media manager for musicians and authors through her business, Bodacious Copy. She lives in Kingston with her Goldendoodle, Eloise.

What readers are saying:

“From the ravages of limerence to teaching an alien about the taste of pumpernickel, this little book bears the weight of the world. The poems breathe compassion, for self and others, and rage against what disconnects us…” – Cathrin Hagey, Writer and Editor

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“Full of passion, vitality, boldness, and inspiration Eden Redefined is as startling and audacious in its themes and concepts as it is beautiful and emotive in its language. Brilliant and brave poet Christine Bode knows how to capture the heart like a butterfly in the palm. This vibrant, courageous, and gripping collection of poetry will remind the reader of the frailty of love, life, and happiness and why that fragility is worth experiencing for all its nebulousness.” –  P.L. Stuart, Author 

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Eden Redefined is available on:

Amazon (Paperback) CDN $14.99: https://amzn.to/3T6vbZf

Amazon (Kindle) CDN $8.99: https://amzn.to/3gWMFtH

Contact Christine Bode at her website: https://bodaciouscopy.com

Eden Refugee is available on:

Amazon (Paperback) CDN $14.99: https://amzn.to/3FEAXhg

Amazon (Kindle) CDN $8.99: https://amzn.to/3TQDd9x

Two Volumes of Poetry and a New Website for Christine Bode of Bodacious Copy

Calling All Poetry Fans!

Hi everyone,

I have exciting news to share. I’m releasing the third edition of my first poetry collection, Eden Refugee (newly edited, with a beautiful new cover and quote reviews), and my second volume, Eden Redefined, on my favourite holiday of the year, Halloween! Ten days from today! So, if you like visceral, lyrical or street poetry that speaks to the human condition, you might enjoy my books. I’ll be sure to share the links to them on Amazon in a new blog on publishing day.

Here are a couple of early reviews for Eden Redefined:

“Full of passion, vitality, boldness, and inspiration Eden Redefined is as startling and audacious in its themes and concepts as it is beautiful and emotive in its language. Brilliant and brave poet Christine Bode knows how to capture the heart like a butterfly in the palm. This vibrant, courageous, and gripping collection of poetry will remind the reader of the frailty of love, life, and happiness and why that fragility is worth experiencing for all its nebulousness.” ~ P.L. Stuart, Author 

“From the ravages of limerence to teaching an alien about the taste of pumpernickel, this little book bears the weight of the world. The poems breathe compassion, for self and others, and rage against what disconnects us. Christine writes, “No one was ever there…” But she set her heart and soul on these pages, and I am here for it.” ~ Cathrin Hagey, Writer and Editor

Huge thanks to Dawn James of Publish and Promote for the interior and cover design of the books, Amazon SEO, and for cheering me on.

My dear subscribers, I also have a new website on Bandzoogle at Bodacious Copy, and you can sign up for my mailing list there to receive a free 1,000-word edit.

I will retire this blog over the next few months and use the one on the Bandzoogle platform, so if you want to receive my news and reviews and writing, editing, and publishing tips, please join me and share this with your friends who may be interested!

With love and gratitude,
Christine xox

What Books, Writing and Reading Mean to Me

If you don’t already know about HarperCollins Canada’s new Savvy Reader website, I want to be sure to tell you about it! It’s run by an absolutely wonderful group of book lovers and employers of HarperCollins Canada, and there’s something delightful to be found there for every book lover!

I was honoured to be asked to contribute to The Savvy Reader’s new Blog Spotlight feature, and today, they published my article on What Books, Writing and Reading Mean To Me.

This is my original version which is a little bit longer and was edited for space:

My mom told me that ever since I was a toddler, my favourite toy or present was always books. She read to me constantly from the time I was a baby to the point when I could read on my own at five years of age. The fact that I could read at that age allowed me to skip kindergarten, and ever since I was in grade school, I have written poems and stories myself.

I always dreamed of being a writer, and I guess you could say that I am one, even though I don’t make a living that way. When I was fourteen, I wrote a poem about Shaun Cassidy that was published in Scholastic Book Services’ Rock’s Biggest Ten. Since then, I’ve had quite a few poems published in newspapers, magazines and poetry anthologies and in 2008, I self-published a book of poetry called Eden Refugee after being encouraged by my mentor – author, actor, former head of the CBC and all-around Renaissance man, Patrick Watson. It’s safe to say that I simply cannot imagine a life without writing or books!

There are so many reasons why I love books. I love the look of them, the smell of them, and the way they feel in my hands. Holding one is always like anticipating an unknown, wrapped gift and wondering what it could contain inside. A good writer’s ability to transport you to different times, places, and worlds and to allow you to envision in your own imagination what it’s like there is extraordinary. I love to read on the couch, under a tree, on planes, trains and automobiles, and especially in bed in the morning while I enjoy my first coffee of the day. That’s the epitome of luxury to me! I haven’t purchased a Kindle or Kobo yet, but I imagine that I soon will because I have three full bookcases in my home and little room for more. I think they’re pretty cool, even though a printed version of a book will always be special to me. I love to read literary fiction, contemporary fiction, historical fiction, historical romance, chick lit, horror, poetry, spirituality/philosophy, biographies and memoirs.

I have been writing book reviews for years, but it has only been in the past two years that I’ve really made a conscious effort to write about every book I read. I started my blog Scully Love Promo Reviews on Blogger in 2008 and switched to WordPress at in December 2009 (my business name changed to Bodacious Copy in November 2020). I write book reviews because I enjoy the process. I love to read, and I like to do what I can to help promote authors, whether they’re making their publishing debut or are already well-known names. I also write to give my blog content and to drive traffic to my website. I not only write book reviews, but I write CD and live performance reviews as well as blog about the arts in Kingston, Ontario (where I live), my clients and about social media.

I read other people’s book reviews but not as many as I’d like to because I’m busy reading books and writing my own. I look for intelligent reviews that are well-written and thoughtful, as well as those about the work of my favourite authors or, in particular, Irish authors that I haven’t heard of. To say I am very fond of Irish writers is a glaring understatement, and I go out of my way to look for books on the sale tables of Chapters or Indigo Books & Music that are written by them. My favourite Irish writers include Patrick McCabe, Colum McCann, Neil Jordan, Roddy Doyle, Edna O’Brien and Maggie O’Farrell.

My reviews of books are usually based on my emotional reaction to the story. However, I also look for the following factors:

1. Did it move me?
2. Could I relate to the characters?
3. Was I captivated, fascinated, or held spellbound?
4. Did it make me laugh, cry, or think about it long after I finished the last page?
5. Was I intellectually challenged by the story?
6. Did I learn something I didn’t know before?
7. Would I want to read more work from the same author?

If the answer is yes to all of the above, then it would be more than likely that I would give the book a high rating and recommend it to my blog readers, and these are the kinds of things I look for in a fellow blogger’s review as well.

My top 5 favourite reviews that I’ve written since I started blogging are:

1. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
2. Let The Great World Spin by Colum McCann
3. Thaw by Fiona Robyn
4. The Complete Poetic Works of Michael Madsen Vol. 1: 1995-2005
5. The Wizard Within by Albert Thor

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts is a book I just finished reading, and it’s absolutely the best book I’ve ever read!  This is the kind of read I always hope for but seldom experience, and it’s why I’ll spend the rest of my life reading as much as possible.

Follow me on Twitter @BodaciousCopy.

POETRY: Eden Refugee – Poetry & Lyrics by Christine Bode

Poetry

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Canadian poet Christine Bode self-publishes her first book of poetry – Eden Refugee – available on Amazon and Lulu.com

KINGSTON, ON – JUNE 26, 2008 – Christine Bode was born and raised in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. She has lived in Toronto and Vancouver and has been writing poetry and song lyrics since she was a teenager. Her first poem, about Shaun Cassidy, was published by Scholastic Book Services in Rock’s Biggest Ten and in 16 Magazine in 1978. Encouraged by a letter from Bob Geldof in 1987 and mentored in this decade by Canada’s legendary broadcasting icon, former chair of the CBC, author, actor and Renaissance man, Patrick Watson, she continues to write and almost understands the meaning of metre.

Some of her work has been published in local newspapers, various American anthologies and on the Internet. Many of the original versions of the poems and lyrics in Eden Refugee have been edited.

EDEN REFUGEE viscerally reflects the experiences of a young woman consumed by sex, drugs, rock ’n’ roll, unrequited love and a constant quest for spiritual enlightenment.

This is Christine Bode’s first published collection of poetry.

Link to preview the book or order your print-on-demand copy of Eden Refugee on Amazon or Lulu.

ISBN: 978-1-4357-2630-7

SID’S SONG
July 6, 1987

Body and armchair, a fetal embrace;
Mind drifts with music to a far-away place.
Tepid breeze whispers through an open window;
Steady, shallow breathing, prostitute’s bellow.
Dusk yawns over the city; humid air, languid, still;
Sleep escapes, stay awake, swallow another pill.

Neon lights flicker, sirens scream by;
Not far, a poor bastard lies waiting to die.
Fires rage, rats scuttle, cats howl, children cry;
Dogs yapping, derelicts hacking, streetcars rattling, trees sigh.
Heroin eyes—purple haze-coloured vision;
Downtown core, a seething roach-infested prison.

Streets stink, cannot think, feet blister, skin peels;
Strain to distinguish what is imagined, dreamt or real.
Fetid heat, constant thirst; lover dead, fear the worst.
Hole in arm, needle in hand, pain all gone; where’s the band?
Fever breaks in sunshine land;
Sid will take his final stand.