When We Play

by Anthony Mays, Louis Maniquet (Photographer)

Man may attempt to travel and conquer the galaxy, but we only have one Earth. Our home is roughly four and half billion years old. Will it be sustained for another four and a half billion years?
Using free-verse poem form, these verses attempt to stimulate thought into the processes that drive and shape the Earth. By personifying ideas, in an artful way, that are difficult, intriguing, compelling, and meaningful we may better understand natural and human-driven disturbances to the environment and its internal and surface activities.

40 pages, Paperback

Published January 11, 2023

About the author

Anthony Mays writes character-driven fiction shaped by the places he’s been and the stories he’s encountered along the way. His novels often blend real-world settings with suspense, emotion, and unexpected turns, pulling readers into journeys that feel both personal and far-reaching.

Best known for his “halfway to” series, Anthony draws inspiration from years of travel, where moments on the road sparked ideas for characters, conflicts, and entire storylines. Those experiences became the foundation for books that explore human resilience, environmental challenges, and the choices people make when faced with difficult circumstances.

His novel Halfway to a Southern Heart was influenced in part by John Grisham’s A Painted House, while Halfway to the Truth has been recognized as eco-fiction, earning the LiFE (Literature for Environment) Award for its exploration of electronic waste and its global impact.

Anthony has been honored with inclusion in the Illinois Authors Wiki, a project of the Illinois Center for the Book, recognizing authors connected to the state through their work or residency.

Whether set in small towns, coastal regions, or international locations, his stories reflect a simple idea: sometimes the most important parts of a journey happen halfway to where you thought you were going.