Breathing The Monster Alive
Posted by: Craig Woolheater on October 4th, 2006
In my daily googling of crypto news several days ago, I ran across the following press release:
Reception For Gansworth Book
Thursday, November 9 at 6 p.m.
BUFFALO, NY − Canisius College will host a reception on Thursday, November 9 at 6 p.m. in the Grupp Fireside Lounge of the Richard E. Winter ’42 Student Center to celebrate the publication of Eric Gansworth’s new book, Breathing the Monster Alive, a multidisciplinary meditation on faith. A collection of poems, essays and paintings, Breathing the Monster Alive embraces the broad figure of Sasquatch/Bigfoot, and in particular, the Fouke Monster, as manifested in the low-budget early 1970s horror film The Legend of Boggy Creek.
A professor of English and Lowery Writer-in-Residence at Canisius College, Gansworth will read from Breathing the Monster Alive, take questions from the audience and sign copies of the book. Original paintings featured in the book will be on display.
Gansworth, an enrolled member of the Onondaga Nation, was born and raised on the Tuscarora Indian Reservation in Lewiston, NY. He has also published three novels, Indian Summers, Smoke Dancing and Mending Skins, as well as a collection of poetry, Nickel Eclipse: Iroquois Moon.
Breathing the Monster Alive is available for $16 at Bright Hill Press; and Amazon books.
For more information, contact Gansworth at (716) 888-2113 or send an E-mail to ganswore @ canisius.edu.
Canisius College is one of 28 Jesuit colleges in the nation and the premier private college in Western New York. Canisius prepares leaders – intelligent, caring, faithful individuals – able to promote excellence in their professions, their communities, and their service to humanity.
Date released: 9/28/2006
I contacted the author, Eric Gansworth, and asked him a few questions about the book and his interest in the subject matter. He shared the following with me by email concerning this book:
I am not sure my book would be of that much interest to you, as it is not particularly research oriented. I generally write fiction and poetry and I am a painter as well. The book is more about believing in something for which there is no evidence, as opposed to trying to find evidence. It is made up of three essays about my interest, from the period of childhood to a re-awakening as an adult, and the middle of it is poetry. It is indeed Fouke Monster poetry, but poetry just the same, and I am fully aware not many people in the world are interested in poetry.
As you note, we must all follow our passions and interests, and this has been one of mine. I decided, in writing it, to keep the identities of others vague, as I do not want to invade anyone’s privacy. It is a personal celebration of the place this being has in my heart. I am from a very small reservation in western New York and we do believe the world is a place that is different from the way most see it. You can find more of my work just by Googling my name.
Should you find it interesting enough to support, I would direct you to the publisher’s website. It is a very small press and buying directly from them helps keep them afloat. Or, if someone is interested in a signed copy, they could purchase one from me.
This is what Amazon.com says about the book:
Breathing the Monster Alive is a multi-disciplinary meditation on faith, exploring cultural needs for a belief in the unseen, through the idiosyncrasies of the individual eye. The poems, essays, and paintings in this collection embrace the broad figure of Sasquatch/Bigfoot, and in particular, the Fouke Monster, as manifested in the unlikeliest document of faith, a low budget early ‘70s horror film, The Legend of Boggy Creek. The embrace of faith is wherever you find it, from roots in indigenous belief to the haunting and shrinking wilderness of this continent, and finally, here, to the flickering images across a drive-in movie screen.
It’s nice to see someone so passionate about his creative efforts. Large and small colleges throughout the country provide us with opportunities to hear and experience some good poetry. The subject matter that Mr. Gansworth explores makes this all the more appealing.
I know the title is “poetic license”, but I resent calling these beings “monsters”.
I can definitely see your point, Sky King, but remember, Monster derives from the Latin Monere, “to warn.” That is in keeping with native traditions concerning the Sasquatch as omens, and well, I dunno. I see the warning to maybe be that there is more to reality than most people realize, which I think is at least passingly similar to what the author is trying to say in this book.
Besides, another modern meaning of monster simply means “big”, which these fellows certainly are.