Anatomy of a Poet: The Story Behind

New Book

"There is a brokenness out of which comes the unbroken. There is a shatteredness out of which blooms the unshatterable. There is a sorrow beyond all grief, which leads to joy. And a fragility out of whose depths emerges strength. There is a hollow space too vast for words through which we pass with each loss, out of whose darkness we are sanctioned into being." ~ Bri Maya Tiwari

That quote astutely describes not only my life, but the poetry in my newest book, "Anatomy of a Poet" .

One of six children, I grew up in a small Ohio town and married my high school sweetheart at nineteen. A Vietnam War widow at twenty, I went on to marry and then divorce two times. 

I made a lot of choices, some good, some not so good, but as one of the poems in the book ["Choices"] ends, "...at least I made choices. How sad for those who merely hitchhike along, never daring to choose at all."

I have three beautiful daughters, nine grandsons, two granddaughters, and a wonderful partner, Robert Cosmar. I have finally learned that true happiness begins and ends with myself.

"Anatomy of a Poet" was written over a period of nearly forty years. The poetry is rich with memoir, humor, fiction, and at times, it is sensual in nature.

Read an Excerpt of "Anatomy of a Poet"

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Reviews:

"I find in myself with most poetry an impatience, "Oh for crying out loud, just say it" leading to a lassitude and eventual cerebral failure." Not so with this work, her raw emotions and sensuality had my attention. I believe this is the only poetry book that I ever finished. " ~Henry Le Nav


"I would recommend this book to all lovers of poetry and, especially, to all who think they are not."
~Mrs. C. I. Campbell


"Totally open and honestly expressed in a variety of poetic styles, each matched to her emotions of the moment. No cutesy innuendos here. A damn good and honest work." ~John David Lionel Brooke

"I found this book to be a "quick read" on the one hand and yet I keep going back and rereading parts of it ... and then rereading the whole section." ~MaryAnn

"In the pages of this book you will find powerful, thought provoking, sensual, and beautifully written poetry from the heart." ~Susan L. Parkins

"This is a beautiful and touching book of poetry, which has at it's heart a mature, loving, but still raw and passionate woman. Many of the poems, and to be honest my favorites, are about beautiful femininity engaging with men, often rugged. The touch of men on a woman's heart and body features heavily, but not excessively; it's not soft, vapid chick-lit. It's well-rounded, and the works also include verses on urban conditions -- but it's love that makes this book tick." ~Alistair Baillie

"One fine author and a magnificent lady. I highly recommend this book with its compilation of meaningful and thought provoking poetry." ~Tom C.

"This is my kind of poetry. Direct, beautifully expressed and without a hint of pretension." ~Allison Cassidy

"I love this book. The poetry is sensitive and touching." ~Joanne "Joni" Taylor

"Here we have a collection of poems by a woman who writes from the heart; "Anatomy of a Poet" may have been written by a children's book author, but it's poetry for grownups." ~Byron Edgington

"I just finished reading C.J.Heck's, book last night. I enjoyed it very much. She definitely has a way with words, that will make you laugh, cry, and feel things very deeply. I can tell that she writes from her heart and soul, and her words will definitely make a lasting impression." ~Rebecca Carden

"The reader is drawn into expertly crafted poetry and wonders if the Poet has experienced all she writes about. If not, CJ Heck has fooled everyone. Anatomy of a Poet peels back the outer skin of the reader and gets into the heart. I highly recommend this book." ~Karla Dorman

"A writer soon learns that easy to read is hard to write." ~CJ Heck