Bill Lorraine

Under the Island Palms Bill Lorraine

"Under the Island Palms" is a book of Bill Lorraine's compelling poetry, illustrated by his wife Ann Lorraine. Both artists have lived full-time in Key West for many years. The book is divided into 5 sections - Life in Key West, Outdoors, Love, Reflections and Off-Island. "Under the Island Palms" allows the reader to see island life, in both words and fine art illustrations, through the eyes of these two artists. Bill Lorraine's unique way of seeing takes the reader along with him, as he brings the colorful world of Key West to vivid life, with all its quirkiness and flaws, as well as its lush beauty. His poems show his love of the ocean and his strong connection to the tropical plants and animals of the island. His poetic style reveals his musical background, evident in the sounds of his words and the rhythm of his phrases. The pages of this book are adorned with the black and white illustrations of Ann Lorraine, a gifted professional artist. She captures the spirit of the poetry with her precision penline and fine art graphics, rendered fast and freely, with a sureness of hand that captures the emotions of Key West's people and places. Two book reviews: Bill Lorraine's writing is a model of admirable simplicity: his language is always to the point, never pretentious, his rhythms have a loose musical feel to them, as might be expected from a poet whose primary profession is as a composer. The book is nicely illustrated by the artist Ann Lorraine, with the same spare eloquence as the poems themselves. The volume is full of the most common of everyday experiences, rendered accurately and lovingly. A major concern of many of these poems is the natural world, tropical version, in which the details are exceptionally precise, clearly coming from someone who has consistently paid very close attention and has been enlivened by it. Harry SchroederEnglish DepartmentSaint Leo UniversityIt is a rare occurrence these days when a poem brings a smile, if not a chuckle, to the reader. Many of Bill Lorraine's poems in his new collection "Under the Island Palms" do just that; indeed, some of them are outright funny. There are to be sure plenty of serious poems here, including some beautiful evocations of landscape and the lush contours of the sensual life. One dips into the book with pleasure every day. Brewster ChamberlinHistorian, Novelist & Poet