My (w)alter Ego

In his appropriately titled my w(alter) ego, Walter Hoelbling brings a genuinely cosmopolitan sensibility to the analysis of his own diverse poetic selves, exploring his love of nature, his belief in social justice, the presence and absence of family, and the ghosts of history. Warmly recommended. -Susan Castillo Street Harriet Beecher Stowe Professor Emerita of American Studies King’s College London Walter Hoelbling’s newest collection of poetry engages topics and themes ranging from Cold War tensions to the fall of the Berlin Wall, from global warming to the plight of refugees, from the heartbreak of a dying friend to the fleeting thrill of a woman’s delicate lace, from the beauty of falling rain to the wonder of being alive. Hoelbling is a humanist in the best and finest sense of that word, a man committed to human welfare, values, and dignity. These poems are simply delightful. -W. D. Ehrhart, Thank You for Your Service: Collected Poems

The composition of poetry is no simple task. It requires a decided verbal dexterity which often defies the possibility of a skill simply acquired by tuition. It is miracle enough for one to be able to fashion poems in one’s native tongue and in the contexts of one’s own culture. All the more remarkable is a poet like Walter Hoelbling who can demonstrate such facility in two languages. To do so with such poignance and grace that the poems exceed the boundaries of language and culture and achieve a universality is a rare accomplishment, and the mark of a gifted poet. So yes, come listen. Hoelbling has things to say in these pages which should be heard. -Daniel Thomas Moran