Book by Connecticut Author to Benefit the Freedom Writers; Recognizes Fulfillment and Empowerment of Writing

Dreams of a Wingless Child, a collection of poetic reflections on nature and life penned by Mary O'Connor of Old Lyme, Connecticut, has been published by Wheatmark, Inc., Tucson, AZ (Paperback, $11.95, ISBN 978-1-58736-803-5). With all proceeds being contributed to the Freedom Writers Foundation, the book is dedicated to the original Freedom Writers, who, as seen in the Paramount Pictures 2007 release, use the power of writing to achieve dreams for themselves and the world.

An award-winning poet, O'Connor draws on the creatures, rhythms and forces of the New England shoreline as her primary source of imagery and turns them into metaphors for the emotions and milestones of life. Written with whimsy, playfulness and clarity of observation, each piece looks at ordinary encounters in unexpected ways, touching on subjects from the split heart hoof of a deer, to the presumed finality of stone and darkness, to the flight of a butterfly. It is through these connections, these fleeting moments of insight, that she finds a sense of place, and with it a realization that one need not look far to discover an element of peace, of celebration, of the fulfillment of a dream. It is from one such poem, the "Flight of the Monarch," that the title of the book was drawn.

Written for all ages, the collection is offered as an encouragement to the reader to find happiness in simplicity, in imagination, in being in touch with whatever lies behind the obvious. "Writing," says O'Connor, "has always provided a means of channeling thoughts and observations in a way that opens my mind to new possibilities and connections. My hope in dedicating Dreams of a Wingless Child to the Freedom Writers is to reinforce their recognition of the power of writing to deal with adversities faced in daily life, and in so doing, to support them in their goal of achieving dreams for themselves and the world."

Capping a professional career that began in journalism as a daily newspaper reporter and section editor and continued through the multimedia and creative worlds of marketing and communications, O'Connor retired in 2007 as executive director of a nonprofit art center in Connecticut. Much of her work has been published in nature and inspirational journals and honored in competition, including by the Thomas Merton Foundation 2003 Poetry of the Sacred Competition, judged by the former U.S. Poet Laureate, Stanley Kunitz. When not writing poetry, she particularly enjoys painting wildlife and scenes of nature in watercolor and acrylics.


NOTE TO EDITORS: If you would like to receive a free reviewer's copy of Dreams of a Wingless Child, please accounts@wheatmark.com with your format preference (hard copy or electronic), press credential, and full shipping details, as applicable.