Introduction: Poems of Florida and Sarasota
This collection was originally published in quantity one as a singular gift to a decidedly singular Debra Jacobs upon her departure from the Selby Foundation in 2008. After some thought, however, I decided to also publish a version of it as a Sarasota Poetry Theatre Press Chapbook because the poems reflected the unique colors of my home town, Sarasota, as well as Florida itself. You might call it a collection of poetic postcards.
Unfortunately, for cost reasons, the book had to be printed in black and white and not the full color of the original, so I was not able to include the gorgeous paintings and photographs created by my partner Scylla Liscombe, which were an integral part of the original. I should also mention that I have added a few poems that should have been included in the original collection but for some reason never made it to the press on time.
Finally, I thought it only fitting that I quote part of the original introduction, which was addressed to Debra:
“[This book] is our way of thanking you for seeing beyond the surface of things. It is a rare gift. Because of your constant and remarkable insight into the nature of our efforts, we have been able to establish SOULSPEAK/SOULMOVES as a unique non-profit whose programs continue to allow the ordinary citizens of Sarasota to creatively express themselves in extraordinary ways. I don’t believe we could have achieved this without your support and belief that true, meaningful art can enrich the lives of people on the most profound and intimate of levels. Good luck on your next journey and for helping us on ours…. Justin Spring and Scylla Liscombe.”
Justin Spring