Poets United's Book Signing With Marcie Hill a Success!

 

As you can see, my photos don't compare to Mr. Hurley's quality images from the Bulletin newspaper above, but I hope they served to adequately capture the fun and fabulousness of the evening! Which included poetry, music, dancing and delicious food.

A special thanks to all who came out and contributed to our forum in any way.

Poetry Corner* Dr. Archan Mehta

 

 About Us

I do not want this earth to steal you

While I am still busy loving you. I

Do not want the sky to suddenly wake

Up and absorb your beauty while I

Am still busy appreciating your charm.

I do not want the cruel sun to burn your

Body with rays like stinger missiles. I

Do not want ugly women to poison my

Ears because they are jealous of you and

Know they will never be like you. I

Want thistles and thorns to melt and

Disappear when you stroll blissfully

In the jungle and forest like a child searching

For a rainbow. I want persons, places and

Things to leave you alone so that we can

Celebrate our lives together, my love.

BIO:

Dr. Archan Mehta has earned a PhD. in Management. Currently, he is a Consultant and Writer based in India. In his free time, Dr. Mehta likes to stroll in the outdoors and party with close friends. He is also fond of meditation. Please feel free to reach out to the poet at archanm@hotmail.com at your convenience.

Image credit: Pixabay.com

Join Poets United For a Fun-Filled Book Signing Party With Author & Blogger Marcie Hill!

HERE'S THE 4-1-1...

WHEN: 
NOVEMBER 5, 2026 (THURSDAY)
6:30 P.M.-9:30 P.M.
WHERE:
V.F.W. HALL--344 W. 119TH STREET
FREE PARKING
 REFRESHMENTS SERVED

BIO:

Marcie L. Hill is the author of nine books, including her most recent masterpiece, Chicago Roller Skating History, the first book ever written on the topic. She is also a speaker and photographer who enjoys reading, researching, and roller skating.
Learn more at her website here:

skate image: pixabay.com

Poetry Corner* Dr. Archan Mehta

Memory Lane

I encountered you in another space,

And lost track of time because of your

Grace and charm: we wanted to find

A quiet place, so we could mix and mingle

Freely: after all, experiencing privacy was

Key to our peace of mind, where Father Time

Would be kind to us: left alone, we could

Escape from the maddening rush. Years later,

I can still hear the poetry in your voice,

And your deep, brown eyes melting in the

Ocean like the sky. Nostalgia can help and

Heal a broken heart and a romance which,

Sadly, did not last: it is a melancholy note

From our past.

BIO:

Dr. Archan Mehta has earned a PhD. in Management. Currently, he is a Consultant and Writer based in India. In his free time, Dr. Mehta likes to stroll in the outdoors and party with close friends. He is also fond of meditation. Please feel free to reach out to the poet at archanm@hotmail.com at your convenience.

Image credit: Pixabay.com

Book Look! With Gail Merriwether

Book Review: RACE TRAITORS by Mark Davis

     Recently I had the opportunity to meet Chicago author Mark Davis, former commander with the Chicago Police Department now retired, and author of a book titled RACE TRAITORS. We met at a law enforcement retiree function  (my background also being in law enforcement) where I was introduced to Davis and his book RACE TRAITORS. As an avid reader and author myself, my interest was immediately piqued, even more so when I noticed the book related to my hometown of Chicago and I immediately procured a copy.

     

RACE TRAITORS, according to the bio flap, takes places in the city of Chicago during the 60's and early 70's when gang activity and violence reached an all time high, primarily on the south and southeast sides, something I can attest to as a kid who grew up during that era and in that location.

The plot revolves around two main characters, detectives Aristotle Ashford and Myles Sivad, and their "suspenseful journey through the streets of Chicago in pursuit of justice."

Told mainly from Sivad's viewpoint, I found the story to be a virtual trip down memory lane, filled with references to places I'd known back in the day.  Izola's restaurant, the Woodlawn neighborhood, Cook County Hospital, Daddy-O-Daley, Hyde Park High School, legendary 47th street, and the newsstands on every street corner blending into the history and background of the city. 

Tension between the two detectives surfaces in their relentless quest to solve the gang killings, as Sivad is a rookie and Ashford, a veteran who despises blacks killing blacks considering them traitors to the race.

While populated with interesting characters and situations, Davis' writing occasionally seems to emulate  more of a police report style (just the facts, ma'am) than an author's narrative, but for anyone with decades of police reporting as his part of his legacy, perhaps it was bound to seep in. The ending, though satisfactory, left a question or two hanging with the reader, such as what happened to a particular character or the resolution of a particular relationship.  

And then coincidentally, I recently met Davis again at another retiree function where I learned of his new novel, RACE TRAITORS 2.   Of course I  purchased a copy immediately-- if only to find out if perhaps those one or two lingering questions from the first novel get answered.

Learn more about the author and book here:

https://www.racetraitorsthebooks.com/

What's on your reading list this summer? Feel free to share in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

BIO: 

GAIL MERRIWETHER is a retired Chicago police, author, and member of Poets United to Advance the Arts.

Poetry Corner* Dr. Archan Mehta

 

Fool’s Paradise 

The tragedy of our times is that we have divided/lines--

Our world, one world into winners and losers but,

In the end, we all face death and destruction on a

Massive scale and nobody is prepared to pay that price.

A bomb, drone or missile which falls from the sky,

And explodes, suddenly, within the blink of an eye

Does not discriminate between caste, creed, race,

Religion, color, nationality and gender. A weapon

Of mass destruction vaporizes life: human, animal,

Vegetable and mineral. Once we move forward, there

Is no going back, and we will not be able to get back

On track. Thus, we need to learn how to think before

We act instead of demonstrating impulsive behavior.

We need to resolve our differences and conflicts

Through diplomacy, negotiations and tact. Otherwise,

Mankind faces a bleak future for sure and even our

Children and grandchildren may not be around anymore. 

BIO: 

Dr. Archan Mehta has earned a PhD. in Management. Currently, he is a Consultant and Writer based in India. In his free time, Dr. Mehta likes to stroll in the outdoors and party with close friends. He is also fond of meditation. Please feel free to reach out to the poet at archanm@hotmail.com at your convenience.

Join Poets United in Celebrating the End of Summer With Some Hot Poetry and Stimulating Conversation!

We hope you'll join us as we share some hot poetry, cool conversations, and afternoon fun!

DETAILS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

WHERE: 

WEST PULLMAN LIBRARY

830 W. 119TH STREET

CHICAGO, IL

WHEN: SEPTEMBER 19, 2026

2:30-4:30 P.M. (SATURDAY)

Open mic starts at 3:30 p.m.

Refreshments served

Free to the public

SEE MORE INFO HERE:

https://chicagolocalevents.com/events/rock-your-rhymes-poets-united-2026-09-19-west-pullman/