This Life Feels Forced - Tapa blanda

These poems are raw expressions of the soul! The poetic prose of this volume leaves one pondering the question, "Who am I, really?" Ted has managed to take us on a journey wrought with pain, resilience, and hope. This book is a must read if you've ever felt misunderstood or different. It's here in these pages that you will discover courageous demonstrations of love and acceptance. Ted has had the nerve to share his truth with others-and the world will be better because of it.

Toni Cole

Author of Negro Woman Ted A. Puntanen was born in Quonset Point, Rhode Island, and spent his high school years in Joppatowne, Maryland. He graduated from Florida State University in 1986, receiving a B.A. in English with a concentration in creative writing. As a travel agent for several years, Ted had the opportunity to visit some of the far corners of the world, experiences that have informed his writing and his artwork. A resident of Washington, D.C., he has given successful poetry readings and oral storytelling sessions. His artwork (oils and mixed media) has been shown throughout the D.C. area. This volume includes a wide selection of his poems and several reproductions of his best-known paintings. Both his verbal and visual images provide the reader/viewer with dazzling-and occasionally troubling-journeys into the human psyche.