Man Overboard: A Tale of Divine Compassion

by David Denny, Luci Shaw (Foreword by)

Overview

In this suite of dramatic monologues, David Denny reimagines the ancient folktale of Jonah by listening to the voices of its many characters. Jonah and God, of course, remain the two principal players, to be sure. But in Man Overboard we also hear from the sailors of the Tarshish-bound cargo carrier, the storm that overtakes them, the great fish who gives sanctuary to the irascible prophet, indeed the ocean itself, as well as the merchants, courtiers, plants, animals, and king of Nineveh. Drawing upon a close reading of the biblical text, the Jewish tradition of Midrash, and a healthy dose of playful imagination, Denny draws the reader into the story's emotional journey. His poems evoke the concrete reality of the landscape and culture of the historical Near East, while highlighting the central spiritual lessons the tale continues to convey in the postmodern world. The result is a lyric rendition of a classic tale that will appeal to general readers as well as biblical scholars and literary aficionados.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781725249059
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	10/16/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	60
File size:	284 KB

About the Author

David Denny is the author of three poetry collections: Man Overboard (Wipf&Stock), Fool in the Attic, and Plebeian on the Front Porch. His short story collection, The Gill Man in Purgatory, is forthcoming from Shanti Arts. Denny's poetry and fiction has appeared widely in journals and magazines, including New Ohio Review, The Sun, Rattle, Atlanta Review, and Stone Voices. He is the recipient of an Artist's Laureate award from Silicon Valley Arts Council and numerous Pushcart nominations. He also served as inaugural Poet Laureate of Cupertino, CA and editor of Bottomfish magazine.
Luci Shaw is a widely published poet, essayist and speaker. Born in England in 1928 she and her husband, Harold Shaw, established Shaw Publishers in 1971 and published books by authors such as Madeleine L'Engle, James I Packer, and George Carey. She is author of thirty-five books, the most recent being Scape and Adventure of Ascent. In 2013 she received the 10th annual Denise Levertov award for Creative Writing. She lives in Bellingham, WA with her husband, John Hoyte.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Foreword Luci Shaw xi

Part 1 Hapless Servant

Arise and Go 3

Flight 4

Stormspeak 5

A Fair Question 7

Casting Lots 8

Man Overboard 10

Part 2 Belly of the Beast

Summoned 13

Swallowed Whole 14

The Great Sea 15

Belly of the Beast 17

God Speaks to the Great Fish 18

A Good Question 19

Part 3 Sackcloth and Ashes

Arise and Go Again 23

Oracle 24

The Perfumer and His Wife 25

Overthrown 27

The Courtiers Report 28

Turning Point 29

Part 4 Fool on the Hill

Jonahs Complaint 33

God's Response to Jonah 35

The Song of the Bush and the Caterpillar 36

On the Great Alluvial Plain 38

On a Hilltop Overlooking Nineveh 41

Parable of the Potter 42

Afterword 45

About the Author 47