“Book Club Poetry is something new under the sun.”
— SCOTT ELLSWORTH,
author of The Ground Breaking - An American
City and its Search for Justice
JOIN THE CLUB
Sign up to receive unpublished poems, thoughts, and updates on my work.
A
B
o
U
T
Marshall S. Harth
Marshall S. Harth, Ph.D., is a poet and Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Ramapo College who lives in Manalapan, New Jersey.
He describes his attraction to poetry in the following way: “Poetry somehow enables us to miraculously express the ineffable experience of being human. It is this access to that human experience that has drawn me to poetry. Our words merely scratch the surface of our existential awareness. The dilemma being, we only have ‘words’ at our disposal. This is my poetic challenge!”
Marshall categorizes himself as a philosopher, psychologist and poet, with the following observations: “Philosophy’s role in life is to present us with ambiguity; psychology’s role in life is to make us comfortable with ambiguity; poetry’s role in life is to enable us to flourish within ambiguity.”
He recently retired from his private psychotherapy practice in Ridgewood, New Jersey, after forty-six years. His definition of therapy is “telling the truth to yourself in the presence of a trusting and caring witness.”
Since 2018, he has been a member of the Non-Fiction Book Club at the Long Branch Free Public Library. For each book the club reads, Marshall has written a poetic response to the book. This collection of poetry forms the basis of Book Club Poetry.
His poetry has been published in The Cultural Journal, The New Jersey Psychologist magazine, and Attachment: New Directions in Psychotherapy and Relational Psychoanalysis.
T
H
E
B
o
o
k
BOOK CLUB POETRY
A collection of ramblings
A poem that often sings
With a refrain that rings
Describing lots of quibblings
Tears and laughs and other things
Occasional outbursts and grumblings
Several mishaps and bumblings
Shakes and quakes and rumblings
Even some outrageous arrows and slings
And gives to hope its feathered wings
From which eternal love springs
Have you ever read a work of nonfiction that moved you? Intellectually? Emotionally? Moved you to act to write POETRY?
Poet Marshall S. Harth’s Book Club Poetry is a collection born out of just such an experience. For each book read in a book club devoted to works of non-fiction—New York Times bestsellers from a diverse range of voices, including Carl Sagan, Ken Burns, Malcolm Gladwell, Lucille Ball, and Betty White—Harth has responded with verses and stanzas that will inspire and entertain in ways that transcend the standard book review or recommendation.
GET IT WHEREVER YOU BUY GOOD BOOKS
testimonials
“Book Club Poetry is something new under the sun.
Well done, Marshall Harth.”
“
— SCOTT ELLSWORTH,
author of The Ground Breaking - An American City and its Search for Justice
“Marshall Harth has lived at the intersection of two great loves: reading and writing. In Book Club Poetry, he offers a poetic homage to the stories that have shaped his life. This collection of over two hundred delightful verses captures the joy of discovery found in every turn of the page. It is a book that invites you to read, reflect, and perhaps write your own verse.”
“
— DENISE KIERNAN,
New York Times Bestselling author of The Girls of Atomic City and Obstinate Daughters
“I am pleased to recognize this self-published collection by one of our long-standing and deeply engaged non-fiction book club members.
These poems grow out of years of shared reading and reflection, offering thoughtful responses to a wide range of works and extending their themes into personal insight. They reflect a sincere engagement with the titles and a consistent effort to translate reading into contemplation and expression. This collection stands as a testament to the enduring value of reading in community, and to the ways books continue to inspire thought long after the discussion ends.”
“
— TONYA GARCIA, MLIS, CPM,
Library Director, Long Branch Free Public Library, Long Branch, NJ.
“Marshall Harth’s debut anthology is a testament to a poet deeply committed to the discipline of his craft, yet unafraid to follow inspiration wherever it wanders. Drawing from a wide literary landscape, his poems transform reading into revelation, where language arrives as both mystery and necessity. His work captures that elusive space “between the lines,” where meaning lingers just beyond articulation. With restless curiosity and lyrical precision, Harth reminds us that poetry is not only written. It is discovered.”
“
— ROBERT GOODMAN,
editor of Spoken Word Poetry Newsletter, Curator of A Poet’s Almanac, editor of St. Lexia and the Lesser Feasts, and host of The Mad Art Supper Club
“A wise and witty wordsmith, Marshall Harth is also a prolific poet with the gift of assembling nouns, verbs and adjectives to lyrically describe interesting things that enter his mind and vision. This includes the many books he has read on a wide variety of subjects. If you’ve read some of the books covered in this collection of poems, Marshall’s reflections in Book Club Poetry will make you think further about them. If you haven’t, you may want to. In any case, you’ll find this book of poems about books an interesting journey into a fascinating world of words.”
“
— CHARLES LOPEZ BRUNS,
author of: Fatherlands, and, SHORTS:
Poems and Short Stories
“I am so moved by your words - you write with such visualization -
and movement ...and your work is very lyrical and .....
the words dance with you as you speak!
It is such a treat and delight!”
“
— TENLEY ESCOFFERY,
Art Teacher at Montvale Public Schools,
Ramapo College Alumna
GET IN TOUCH
You can contact Marshall Harth via email, on social media, or using this form.
Marshall is available for readings, interviews, and speaking.
