First Light, Then Quiet: Poems & Other Writings

by Hal Zina Bennett

Bennett, a popular reader and author of more than 30 successful books, here uses poetry to explore the deep ecological bonds between ourselves and the natural world. Lyrical, at times mystical, Bennett's themes cover the human spectrum--from the mystery of life and death, to compassion for our enemies, to ruthlessness towards those we love. Bennett dares to entertain lofty as well as ignoble themes, ones that have been around for as long as poetry, as long as human yearning, summoning us back to our own humanness.

75 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Born in Detroit, I lived in Birmingham, a suburb of Detroit, until the age of 12, when we moved north to a small village on Deer Lake. I became interested in writing during high school but didn't take it seriously until I was in my twenties when a publisher became interested in my writing on alternative education. My first book was published jointly by Random House and Bookworks, a small California publisher. Title: "No More Public School." It was moderately successful, giving parents throughout the U.S. tips on homeschooling or setting up small parent-co-op private schools. This lead to a series of collaborations with Mike Samuels, MD, on wellness and health, notably "The Well Body Book," which was an international bestseller. My own books have included books on personal and spiritual growth, such as "Follow Your Bliss," on right livelihood, "Spirit Animals and The Wheel of Life," "Zuni Fetishes," and a series of three books on creativity and writing, including the bestselling "Write From the Heart." Published fiction includes "Spirit Circle" and "Backland Graces: Four Novellas." I have ghost written or collaborated on at least a dozen other books, including "The Holotropic Mind," with Stan Grof, MD and "Change Your Questions, Change Your Life," for Marilee Adams, Ph.D. I continue to coach and teach other writers and consult on publishing choices.