Holewinski

5 Star Review of A Boy Nonetheless by Robert Denis Holewinski

Reviewed by Erin Nicole Cochran for Readers' Favorite

A Boy Nonetheless by Robert Denis Holewinski is a collection of poetry that, for me, reads as a continuing memoir. Its starting point brings us to a boy and, by the end, readers come to know a young survivor entering adulthood. What you can expect to find among the pages is a childhood filled with abusive adult “fixtures” that don’t teach, but instead dictate, alienate, and inflict upon a forming mind. You will also find poems that are voiced by varying viewpoints. Threaded through like vines are the physical surroundings, specifically nature, that come through as a salve to the physical treatment.

The voice that falls over the poems has a certain tone that is unsettling, but readers will find themselves entranced. Especially in the beginning, it has a quickness of breath and narration that you might expect from a Stephen King novel. I’d like to compare the nature aspect of this collection to Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, which has never been too far from my mind. I am reminded of his journey and time spent in the woods while reading A Boy Nonetheless. The special golden line for me in this entire collection is again small, “They were who they had to be,” taken from the poem “Sometime Leaving Home”. I read this line and it hits “home”, which is what writing should do, because it’s all about connecting. And that is what Robert Denis Holewinski’s A Boy Nonetheless does; it connects, speaks and assures us of the strength we possess in times that are less than golden.

I recently published my third book, titled, "A Boy Nonetheless" which along with my first two books can be reviewed and purchased through my website: www.RobertDenisHolewinski.com 

The author of these books would greatly appreciate your support. Thank you.
"One Year There"
"The Ocean, the Treehouse, and God"
"A Boy Nonetheless"

I recently published my second book, titled, "The Ocean, the Treehouse, and God" whic is also available through Amazon Books and Barnes & Noble online. Here is a summary of this book:

"The Ocean, the Treehouse, and God" is about Jonah, a young veteran who decides to stay in Ocean City, a seaside town that he has become very familiar with, for a summer three day holiday weekend. It is a story about what he experiences there and afterward. 

His story is told in three sections, consisting of the Ocean, the Treehouse, and God. Each relates in some way to the other two. The Ocean begins in the summer of 1971 during that particular three day holiday weekend. Roughly two years pass to bring us into the Treehouse. The last section, God, has no year assigned to it but rather covers many years and decades.

Some of the poems are told directly by Jonah, while other poems are told from the perspective of selected characters who appear in the story. As far as the meaning and truth of Jonah’s story, that will be left up to you, the reader, to decide one way or the other.

For those interested in my first book, titled "One Year There" (also available through Amazon Books and Barnes & Noble online), to following is a summary:

The years 1966 through 1969 have been called the 'Second Korean War' by military historians.  The following poems are memories of the year 1968 in South Korea.  They are memories of the soldiers assigned to my unit, located in a small outpost, hidden in the mountains of that country.  These poems are snapshots of life on that nuclear missile base which was high on the North Korean list of targets.  Indeed, we were always on the alert for possible infiltrators who had come into South Korea and who were expected to be heading toward our camp.              

Although these poems can be looked at as a military war story, there are no battles or heroes or military campaigns.  Rather, these poems will show life in a small army base in Korea during a very anxious and confusing time, always with the constant possibility of a full scale war.         

That year was filled with news items about the two Koreas with the capture of the USS Pueblo by the North Koreans, her crew paraded through the news media, accused of being spies, then the killing of Robert Kennedy, and the killing of Martin Luther King.  Also during that period, a team of 12 North Korean assassins got to within a few blocks of the South Korean presidential palace before being stopped.         

It was my intention in writing these poems that the reader could come away with a better understanding of what life was like in 1968 at an army base in South Korea.  It was also my intention in writing these poems that I would purge the phantoms that have been dwelling inside me since living "One Year There".

My recently published book, 'One Year There' is a free verse story poem of the year 1968 in South Korea.  They are memories of the soldiers assigned to my unit, located in a small outpost, hidden in the mountains of that country.  These poems are snapshots of life on that nuclear missile base which was high on the North Korean list of targets.  Indeed, we were always on the alert for possible infiltrators who had come into South Korea and who were expected to be heading toward our camp.

Although these poems can be looked at as a military war story, there are no battles or heroes or military campaigns.  Rather, these poems will show life in a small army base in Korea during a very anxious and confusing time, always with the constant possibility of a full scale war.

That year was filled with news items about the two Koreas with the capture of the USS Pueblo by the North Koreans, her crew paraded through the news media, accused of being spies, then the killing of Robert Kennedy, and the killing of Martin Luther King.  Also during that period, a team of 12 North Korean assassins got to within a few blocks of the South Korean presidential palace before being stopped.

It was my intention in writing these poems that the reader could come away with a better understanding of what life was like in 1968 at an army base in South Korea.  It was also my intention in writing these poems that I would purge the phantoms that have been dwelling inside me since living "One Year There".

My book contains 53 chapters.  The printed book version includes my photographs taken in 1968 and is available through Amazon Books and Barnes & Noble online.  The electronic book version does not have photographs and is available through Kindle.com and Nook.com, and I invite everyone to review my book at these sites, clicking the 'read now inside' to view the poems.  Thank you in advance!

This new painting titled "Hollywood 1928" will be on exhibit at The Art of Disney Gallery located at Epcot in Walt Disney World Florida.  It is a stylized image showing Mickey and Minnie just before they were hired as actors by Walt Disney.  Mickey first movie, Steamboat Willie, was later that same year.  It is also considered a 'parody painting' done in oil on heavy Arches watercolor paper.

My Artmajeur gallery contains more parody character paintings that show Mickey, Goofy, and Donald in various imagined movies and roles.  Many of my character parody paintings imagine what these Disney characters do when they are not 'on stage' in the parks.  

A number of people have asked about my working as a designer/artist for the Disney Company. I worked in Walt Disney World, Florida, and designed product, packaging, graphics, clothing during my 9 years there. It was a dream come true for me and I truly enjoyed my first 7 years there.

If anyone is interested to take a look at some examples of my Disney design work (and some of my other design work), please go to my web site at: www.RobertDenisGroup.com

Be sure to click on the different ‘Rooms’ that are shown on the top menu. If you have any comments, well, I am here!