D. Jeanne Ripley
| Testimonials |
I think your book would be PERFECT for my mom and others like her who are going through chemotherapy. I would like to order 5 books. I am going to give 1 to my mom, keep 1 for myself and I am going to put the others around the chemo daycare unit at Princess Margaret Hospital where my mom is receiving treatment. Please know that your words and pictures will truly transport and free those who pick up the books. I am sure it will help them to heal. I am so excited to do this. - Shannon Leal, Dartmouth
"I just wanted to thank you for the amazing book..
"I found the natural progression of the sections comparable to the stages in flying. At first we are on the ground, but by the last chapter we have taken flight. The poetry and images provide a lift to the spirit. Often times it is spaces between words and simple designs, as in the image next to Für Elise, that triggers contemplation a simple twig becomes a celebration of life. I personally like simple and find that often less is more, with images as with poetry, the reader is prompted to fill in the spaces. Considering the title of the book I found pages 94, 95 as an effective ending. It tells us how we get wings to fly. The imagery is very strong as we have all experienced throwing a stone in the water and as we watch the ripples we contemplate the meaning of life."
"I greatly admire Joanne Chilton's work. Wings to Fly is an appropriate title for this book as her photographs are full of movement. I love how she can make bark and rocks and trees seem to dance and even the photographs of industrial and man made objects are full of motion. These works are extremely evocative, they can make one feel hopeful, sad or full of wonder; so it is fitting that her colleague, Jeanne Ripley has supplied her own emotional responses to the images in the form of short poems, that also chronicle her journey from despair to hope."
"The journey within this remarkable volume cannot be described merely by departure and destination. It is a sensual passage of spiritual discovery, touching upon our nature, as individuals, through the global consciousness, and ultimately within a timeless infinite expression. The succinct, intense poetry perfectly complements the evocative, intuitive imagery. Together, they unfold the struggles and triumphs of becoming simply, truly, grateful human. Our hearts are encouraged to develop a vision, to behold beyond the familiar, to peel away the skin of assumption, and feel the very pulse of intimate reality. This profound personal study encompasses the visible, and tenderly delves into the textures and depths of thought and emotion. We are invited, with soul, to explore the paradox, the living metaphor of who we are, and can be, through the minutae and grandeur of the world around and through us."
The wise, connective tissue that threads between the mind and heart, light and dark, being and full becoming, is explored here, with the gap between pages, between word and image, offered up as a kind of open, compassionate space through which our own experience can breathe and fly."
"Wings to Fly is elegant, uplifting and provocative. The synergy of poems and images offers a sense of spaciousness for expanding one's view and forming deeper connections with all of life."
" Wings to Fly is a lovingly prepared essay on seeing and Jeanne Ripley and Joanne Chilton have certainly achieved an "act of integration" - something Ms. Chilton refers to in her preface. As I poured through the imagery of this book - conjured in two languages towards one vision - I was reminded of how much I love the still point of communication; when I get it; when what is given is understood in my deepest parts and I am touched by thoughtful unthinking. There was ample opportunity for this in Wings to Fly."
"When asked to review the poetry book Wings to Fly by Joanne Chilton & Jeanne Ripley, the first few words sent me to a place of calm, and that was only the preface. The joining of a photographers mind and a poets, has married so well together within this book, the words tell stories and the photos lead the way. The journey of the poems reminded me a lot of how life itself unfolds. From the beginning to the end of this book, I could relate parts of my life to each poem, but then this was enhanced by the beautiful simplistic photos, that allowed my mind to wander in and connect with what I was reading, to what I could see and feel. The words used in this book are full of originality and power and I am sure anyone who reads this will feel the words and images touch a place in their heart that they will remember for a long time. A beautiful collection of inspiring poems, and exquisite photographic images."
"I tried to absorb the images before reading the poems, for I felt that I too wanted to respond in my own way. I am oppressed by the bearing down of a ship on my empty chair, disoriented by the near white-out I am familiar with in the mountains yet drawn in, and feeling small and vulnerable under the ent of a tree ... The writings then confirm my feelings, or sometimes take me off to another place where the writer is ..."
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