An Imaginary Affair: Poems Whispered to Neruda

by Diana Raab

An Imaginary Affair is a collection of sensitive and sensuous poems for poets and non-poets who appreciate the challenges and intricacies of being human. The poems touch on key human elements, such as love, desire, passion, memory, loss, and gratitude. The poet celebrates the joys, and pains inherent to a woman's heart, while honoring the wisdoms and tones of Neruda's poetry. Some of the epistolary poems are directed to Neruda in response to his riveting poems.

38 pages, Hardcover

Published July 8, 2022

About the author

Diana Raab, PhD is a memoirist, poet, essayist, thought-leader, and speaker. She presents workshops in writing for healing and transformation. She has a PhD in Psychology with a concentration in Transpersonal Psychology with a research focus on the healing and transformative powers of memoir writing. Her educational background also includes health administration, nursing, and creative writing.

She teaches two courses on “DailyOM: Write. Heal. Transform: A Magical Memoir Writing Course“ and “Therapeutic Writing.”

She’s an award-winning author of 13 books, and her articles and poems have been published and anthologized worldwide. She’s also the editor of two anthologies, "Writers on the Edge: 22 Writers Speak About Addiction and Dependency," and "Writers and Their Notebooks."

Raab’s memoirs include "Regina’s Closet: Finding My Grandmother’s Secret Journal" and "Healing With Words: A Writer’s Cancer Journey". She has 5 poetry collections, including her latest, "An Imaginary Affair: Poems Whispered to Neruda".

Her writing workshops and inspirational speaking engagements are based on her books "Writing for Bliss: A Seven-Step Plan for Telling Your Story and Transforming Your Life" and "Writing for Bliss: A Companion Journal".

Raab’s latest memoir, "Hummingbird: Messages from My Ancestors, a memoir with reflection and writing prompts" was released in January 2024.

She writes for Psychology Today, Thrive Global, Medium, The Wisdom Daily, Sixty And Me, The Good Men Project, and many others.

For more information, check out her website, www.dianaraab.com

Reviews

[Violet]

"I had to let you go: when you love
someone it’s what one must do —
set them free to do what they need
or want, and when they want
(....) will never in my lifetime or yours
stop loving everything about you."


An Imaginary Affair: Poems Whispered to Neruda by Diana Raab is a Poetry collection. These poems are written in response to Pablo Neruda's poems. This small book consists only 38 pages and you can finish it within half an hour.

The poems are about love, desire, loss, and gratitude. The Author honours the insights of Pablo Neruda in response to his poems.

These poems are really written beautifully. I liked every one of the poem, couldn't choose a favourite. Every poem has an emotion attached to it. I would like to read more poetry from the author in the future. You should definitely give it a try if you love poetry.

"offer a love, profound now, and take in
the passion which has sustained us."

Thank you to the Author and BookSirens for providing an e-review copy


https://deluwrites.blogspot.com/2022/...

[Ebony (EKG)]

poems in conversation with Pablo Neruda’s work. i have read some of Neruda’s poetry, and Diane Raab truly captured the cadence and tone of his work. these were tender poems about desire, love, and reckoning with one’s past.

[Literary Reviewer]

It isn’t unusual for a writer to be influenced and inspired by other writers. Diana Raab takes that inspiration one step further in An Imaginary Affair: Poems Whispered to Neruda. Penning a collection that serves as heartfelt and direct responses to specific works of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. Over the course of roughly two dozen poems, Raab writes in a tone that is vulnerable, sensual, therapeutic, and pleading- somehow often all simultaneously.

The book as a whole is a quick read. Most of the pieces are comprised of only a handful of lines, but the imagery created by Raab’s words linger long after, in many cases prompting a careful re-read for a more complete picture. Poetry is a highly subjective art, but it is hard to ignore the power and the passion that live on these pages and exist with an almost palpable ferocity. It takes a strong grasp of language and nuance to create a collection on this level.

I enjoyed this collection immensely and wish there was more of it to read. I especially liked the fact that the author included the list of poems each of hers was paired with, so readers could investigate further and become familiar with Neruda’s work. For existing fans of Neruda’s, this collection is a wonderful compliment and a must read. For those not familiar with him it serves as a loving homage and an introduction. This is a fantastic collection with excellent writing that opens a gateway to new things.

[Cheryl Achterberg]

At last, a woman’s answer to Pablo Neruda, not just an answer to him as a poet, but an answer for him as a lover. Diana Raab evokes all the beauty in An Imaginary Affair that Neruda created. She dances with his poetry, uniting the two like shavings of delicate chocolate melted on the tongue. Her poem, “Please Don’t Forget Me” spoke everything I carry in my heart after losing my husband two years ago and as she says, “orphaned by a love” in “Tonight I can Write.” Soft and tender and true as the fluff on a little bird’s belly, these whispers will stay with you. Please read.

[Lily]

This was a wonderful poetry collection that evokes some great imagery. This collection really takes you on a journey from start to finish, and I felt like I was getting a peek inside Raab's mind. Each poem clearly had an emotion tied into it, ones that almost all will experience if they live long enough. I would definitely love to read more poetry by her in the future, as I enjoy her style quite a bit.