Hero Island – What Reviewers and Media are Saying

Title: Hero Island
Author: Stephen B. Wiley
Genre: Poetry
Publisher: Oasis
ISBN:
Pages: 72
Price: $12.95
Rating: 4.5

BookWireReview: The amazing clarity of thought and fluidity of this book catches the fascination of the reader from the initial description of hero island. The smooth flow of words instantly lures the reader into forming an intimate relationship with this book. Wiley creates a new world on the island where mankind is given another chance to rethink the past and learn from its mistakes. Read Complete Review

Kirkus Discoveries, New York, NY: A star is assigned to books of unusual merit, determined by the editors of Kirkus Reviews. (Robert Frost's “good neighbor” in Vermont not only builds fences, he writes poems – and writes them well. After a distinguished 50-plus year career as a New Jersey lawyer and public servant, Wiley turned to poetry to celebrate memories of long-vanished family (and folkways), city life and – most lyrically – the pleasures of summer life in the Vermont countryside. Travel to Hero Island (It's real- by book or road for a relaxing visit with a poet new to letters, but not to life. Read Complete Review

Kirby Congdon, Solares Hill News, Key West , Florida: The reader feels comfortable because the poem is functioning as a poem instead of showing off how clever the writer is or how literary he can be. Instead, one gets the feeling of sharing a life and its details and seeing the meanings and the worth of it. I came away from this book feeling I had been introduced to a stranger but, at the end of it, that I am leaving an old friend. We have here a permanent contribution to our distinguished history of poetry in this country. Read Complete Review

Jennie S. Bev, BookReviewClub.com: Wiley's crystal-clear language sparkles with humanity. Readers of all ages will find his poems beautiful and extremely encouraging. Wiley believes it is a natural instinct of mankind to assert themselves however they can to contribute.

Carol Bere, reviewer: In this three-part lyric sequence, written in deceptively simple, direct language, Wiley not only captures the essence of one man's life—the sights, sounds, tastes, and memories—but suggests the universal in the particular, the unseen in the seen. What Wiley does so effectively in this middle section of the collection is to depict one man's recognition, attunement, and individual response to the natural cycles of life, the shifting seasons, through wonderfully accurate imagery.

Neal Storrs, editor of Oasis: Stephen Wiley's first book of poetry tells the story of America in the 20 th century. If, at times, they make us long for what has been lost in our country, and in ourselves, the note that sounds most clearly is one of hope. Wiley's words constitute a testimony that natural beauty and human goodness will endure forever.

Blether - The Book Review Site, Reviewer - Norman Goldman. Poet Stephen B. Wiley's first book of poetry, Hero Island, reflects tender snapshots and reminiscent overviews of various stages of his life as a youngster working on a farm in New Jersey, summer vacations spent with his family in Northern Vermont, and his positive stance on life. Although, I must admit that I initially opened Wiley's book of poems with some trepidation, my only grumble, when reaching the last poem, was that I did not have enough of it. It is my hope that Hero Island only marks the inauguration of a long and creative career. Rating 10/10. Read Complete Review

Alyce Wilson, Wild Violet editor, Vol. IV Issue 3/4
You would have a difficult time finding Wiley the lawyer in these pages, unless it's through that keen eye for detail. The language of these poems, in its clear simplicity, is as far from legalese as one can imagine. Like Beat poet Gary Snyder, Wiley has lived a life packed with varied experiences — New Jersey lawyer, educational and legislation reformer, community leader — and yet is keenly attuned to the importance of the smallest things, such as a barn spider or a hummingbird's throat. Read Complete Review

Available through Ingram, Baker & Taylor and Midpoint Trade Books