It might sound like complaining. I assure you that I’m not.
It is more like humble bragging. Which I tend to do alot.
It’s not true that I can’t help myself. It’s more like I never tried.
Could be from too much attention. Or to little… I can’t decide.
I used to be a victim. Now I just be a volunteer.
My head is firmly up my ass. And I can’t see to clear.
Writing myth in the first person. To see why and who I could love.
It’s not I’ll ever understand, but I try… Push comes to shove.
NEW BOOK RELEASE!
Look Them in the Eyes
Dennis Mantin. Friesen Press, 2023
There are thirty-two ways to write a story, and I’ve used every one, but there is only one plot—things are not as they seem.
Jim Thompson
Following the birth of his daughter, Jackie, middle-aged Zach MacIver is determined to stop what he terms “intergenerational transmission of family dysfunction” from plaguing his family. Over the course of two years, from the time Jackie is eight until she turns ten, Zach recounts his life experiences to her while attempting to navigate the obstacles created by her mother, Tina, who is experiencing her own version of intergenerational transmission of family dysfunction. The story begins during the COVID-19 pandemic when the world and its inhabitants face mounting daily trials and life-altering decisions. From there the narrative proceeds in a non-linear fashion as Zach recounts the roots of his own dysfunction and how his love for his daughter and his desire to be a good father forced him to face his difficulties head on. American author Jim Thompson once wrote, “There are thirty-two ways to write a story, and I’ve used every one, but there is only one plot—things are not as they seem.” This story is a great reminder of that.
Available now to purchase in eBook, paper, and hardcover from Amazon, Friesen Press, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Google Play, and Kobo.
ACCOLADES
Book I wish I could read again for the first time!
Dennis Mantin’s clean characterisation breathes life into the narrative, the realistic portrayal adds to the reader’s understanding of the book’s profound messages on life and people. What’s compelling about the novel is the the Protagonist’s journey, his perspective on “intergenerational transmission of family dysfunction” and how he’s determined to stop that from plaguing his family. The story is neatly told from Zach’s( the protagonist) perspective. It’s a non linear narrative with characters virtually jumping off the page. The characters, their presentation and Mantin’s unique writing style offer readers a fresh and deep perspective.
—Anuradha Basu, Amazon, November 21, 2023
I’d been searching for the answers… When finally she came along.
Preforming miracles, curing cancers. Giving music to the song.
She taught and gave directions. Even when I didn’t ask.
She let me know my fortune. In her sunshine I could bask.
She showed me all my foibles. And how little I evolved.
I felt criminally unworthy, so I left her. Mystery solved.
There is no calculation that I have seen That can determine the reactions of People who do not get their own way.
If you want to know who are dealing with… just say no to them. Say no without explanation for maximum Strange.
The Terror came in midweek and sat upon the shore.
In the space that lies between, the beauty and the roar.
The strangers came to take me to a land so far away.
Nor one of them said for sure the time, they’d return for me someday.
There’s a distance in the whispering, that can’t be heard by some.
It’s quiet and it’s haunting with the soft beat and a hum.
It’s all that I hold on to when the madness comes around.
And I’m swimming in the waters where parts of me have drowned.
There’s nothing to be taken that is not of life or light.
Worth any more than spit or gold; it’s courage for the fight.
Sometimes when I’m sleeping they are reaching out somehow.
There’s so much more that I don’t know… and all we have is now.
I forgive you!
Not because I am so spiritual or high and mighty; noooo!
And I forgive you not because I believe that you are more sick mentally than you are evil… and yes I do think that this is true.
I forgive you because I know that my forgiveness will bother you.
Tolkien’s Night
When I was a kid in the 1960s, the farmers could be heard lamenting about a changing world that they feared.
Beautiful stone cobbled streets of small towns were replaced with “The Shopping Mall Generation!” AND cities grew. “Who would grow the food?” The farmers asked.
But did anyone see this coming down the pike? A generation so smart that they make money while they sleep?
A generation who became so important that not having children became for them, the best option. Which is probably the best thing since we can no longer determine genders…
I am not afraid. I am not in control. I am embarrassed… or am I entertained?
One generation builds so that the next can enjoy life and the children of that generation from this lap of luxury can destroy.
This is the cycle.
Repeat or break?
Dennis Mantin 
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