The Guilt Gene

by Diana Raab

Raab takes a close and courageous look at all her life's experiences, and in so doing, shares her wisdom and forgiveness of self and others with a raw honesty that is both refreshing and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1935514393
• ISBN13: 9781935514398
• Release Date: September 2009
• Publisher: Plain View Press, LLC
• Length: 92 Pages
• Weight: 0.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

A lovely venture

It is a genuine pleasure to read one author's poetry collection simply for the window it provides into a rich and thoughtful life. In this, Diana Raab's The Guilt Gene does not disappoint. The Guilt Gene is a lovely collection of poems--some self-deprecating, others blunt in their recollection; some rooted in history, others lost in daydreams. In the opening selection "Cherry Blossoms," Raab recalls her youth through a vivid array of textured and/or scented objects--Noxema cream, moth bolls, powdered milk, corduroys, incense, etc. These poems capture how youth seek spaces and enact agendas separate from adults and yet, with a hint of irony, remain ever-shaped by adults' fears and problems. Thus, we learn how Raab was affected by Cold War fears--remembrances of school drills, makeshift bomb shelters, and practiced goodbyes to her favorite doll. Raab also recalls the trappings of `60s rebellion and wonders whether or not contemporary technologies--and the omni-surveillance they imply--make similar rebellions impossible. A humorous "Moth Balls" recalls a health-conscious mother who threatened both her daughter's social life and health by saturating their clothing with the toxic substance. Amidst these more light-hearted remembrances surface memories of neglect and of her parents' bad marriage. It closes, for example, with "The Library," a place of refuge and a lesson about youth (its theft, its passing): "Knowledge is the only thing that cannot be stolen away." The selection "Book Tour" explores the origins, compulsory nature, and journeys of writing. Raab writes from and through painful memories, whether those of her mother ("Being born and not really wanted leaves a scar on a young soul") or her grandmother. Particularly striking is the brief but rich "Fortuna," Raab's recollection of her grandmother's typewriter from Nazi Germany, used to process the horrors inflicted upon the Reich's victims and resting upon the vanity where her grandmother would take her own life. The love her grandmother instilled in Raab for the typewriter--a love imbibed with its tragic history and its use--mirror Raab's own drive and discovery as a writer herself. Yet, some light-hearted humility surfaces here too. "Book Tour," for example, chronicles the laborious process of getting published and the pride that grows with each successive step, a pride then deflated upon arriving to a book signing to find only your friends in attendance: "Bless thy friends, I say. Bless thy friends." The remaining sections of the book are equally poignant and varied. "Two Evils" offers poems about the author's coming to terms with breast cancer as well as more whimsical pieces about the brain's capacity to deceive, the discovery of three perfect watermelons on the beach while walking her dog, and this delightful self-deprecating nugget about people who buy into computer phobias and conspiracies (e.g. Y2K): "I tell them they overact to crazy people's rantings. Then I turn on my computer t

Good Reading

This is easy-to-read poetry. It is unpretentious and honest; a self-portrait that will resonate with most women. I'm not an expert on writing poetry, but I do know that I enjoyed Ms. Rabb's book. I especially related to her poem, Where I Write.

"The One Before The Loss And The One After" ~ The Poetry Of DNA

I've just finished reading 'The Guilt Gene' by Diana Raab, a slender 92 page paperback containing 60 poems. While the book is an extremely quick read, chronologically speaking, her innate ability for reaching out and touching that quiet space within the reader is timeless and lasting. Whether Diana is reflecting on the most ordinary of happenings or exploring the implications of a deeply personal experience, her ability to transform that solitary musing into a universally shared moment is profound, intimate and deeply moving. Her keen powers of observation coupled with the all too rare talent for revealing the miniscule, yet often life changing processes moving behind all things breathes life and meaning into her work. While reading this precious volume of events, musings and illuminations the reader will almost immediately become aware of that fact that what is unfolding before him/her is an intimate diary of a woman's life formated into poetic verse. As you move deeper into this collection of utterances you will begin to discern the unique manner in which the mundane and sacred merge into a singular process moving and evolving through the authors life. In some way, great or small, everyone thought, every moment, every experience play a part in defining who she is and point the way to her inevitable destination. This is more than just poetry, it's a beautiful, contemporary 'rite of passage', a volume that can be utilized not only for quiet reflection but spiritual growth as well. 'The Guilt Gene' resides in all of us and through the vehicle of poetry Diana has come to terms with how it's effected her life. Now through our connection with her we come face to face with these forces in our own life and in doing so we discover that it is a shared journey. 'The Guilt Gene' may appear small and unassuming to the naked eye but don't underestimate its impact. You'll find yourself returning to this book often.

THE GUILT GENE

THE GUILT GENE is Diana's memoir in poetry. Her life was filled with excitement, pain, loss and gain. Her words are beautiful and lyric and demand to be read several times over, not just once. Many times while reading this book I read the same poem over several times, just so I could hear it again. Her story is a sad but hopeful one, and something I believe everyone should read. Recommendation: Ages 12+

An amazing collection

This is an amazing collection of poems. Much recommended to anyone who likes poetry, self examination and discovery as well as memorable emotional and effective images and explorations. I REALLY ENJOYED!