Review of "Pairings" e-book published by Soma Publishing

by Robert Feldman

Author of "Hineni"

A hearty and well deserved bouquet of applause for Linda Imbler’s second book, Pairings. This assemblage of short stories and essays, each “paired” with a relevant and reflective poem, translates into a rewarding stroll through Ms. Imbler’s garden of creative literary visions.  Pairings guides the reader through a plethora of commentaries and discourse, ranging from science fiction and futuristic pieces to holy men and phantoms, complete with allegories, fables, and musical themes.

Most notably, the pairing of “Many Alone”/“The Lonely”, a tale of a collection of village people who eventually become “subjugated to their will”, strikes a profound and prophetically foreboding note. In “Tattoo”/”Flags”, the author ponders the seeming paradox of “those who live and strive for peace and freedom” with their imminent devolvement into an image of unwavering “flagpoles now still” as “the future world follows”. 

Another “pairing” of note, “The Old Shepard”/”Grab the Sun”, guides the reader through a man’s journey in his search for truth and his eventual realization that this rigorous path requires “more effort to follow it”, thus illuminating the hidden gift of man’s “strength untapped”. “Digging The Day”/Weather The Night”, my personal favorite, is dedicated to both the great American poet Allen Ginsberg and The Ten Commandments. “Digging” is a poignant sketch of a somewhat solitary “Beat” artist whose “words” are his bonds which he chooses to “unleash at times”, while “Weather” aptly and insightfully concludes: “dreams are the barometer of the weather in my head”.

Last, an accomplished guitarist in her own right, Ms. Imbler offers her audience a delicious homage to music in “My Song for Small Things”/”Heart Strings”. Here, we are treated to her simple yet profound notion of how sweeter life’s significant moments can be when reflected through music: life as an “eternal symphony playing in ether”.

Linda Imbler’s Pairings would make anyone who delights in a few hours of provocative thought and literary appreciation quite pleased and rewarded to have accompanied her along this richly multifarious journey.