Title: Best of Luck
Subtitle: 955 Infinite Layers of the Soul – Part 1
Author: Rhiannon Cree Kirshner
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: ISBN: 978-1-5320-3931-7
Pages: 50
Genre: Poetry
Reviewed by: Shamus Hoare
Pacific Book Review
I must admit I have never read a book quite like this. Author and poet Rhiannon Cree Kirshner has compiled a collection of one sentence thoughts, each beginning with, “Maybe I write…” then ending with totally fascinating “reasons.” Her book is titled Best of Luck but the subtitle is more descriptive, 955 Infinite Layers of the Soul – Part 1.
Ok, it’s hard to explain, but at first readers may seem as if this book is some form of literary gimmick. Sure it is easy to come up with a dozen endings to the same beginning thought; yet it becomes harder to come with a few scores of ending reasons. Yet if you do the math, she actually has come up with just about two dozen scores, or 475 to be exact! That is an achievement of creativity that transcends any superficial list of what might come to mind, and requires, what I would imagine, almost hypnotic concentration or meditative insight of an extraordinary nature to pull from the mind such revelations.
“Maybe I write to make you smile,” is just one of the hundreds of entries. Kirshner tells of a chance encounter while in a café in Greenwich Village in New York City, where she finds herself sitting next to Leonardo DiCaprio. After building up her nerve to ask for an autograph, Leonardo says, “Sure. What took you so long to ask?” Then on the napkin he writes “Best of Luck.” Rhiannon goes on to say how that phrase, “Best of Luck,” has always come up in so many different ways by different people; she feels as if it is her destiny to always receive that coinage – in the literary sense of the definition.
“Maybe I write in a time of healing, transformation,” is another of her thoughts of which I believe has significant merit with respect to her seeking tranquility and peace of mind. I am not a psychologist, but as an avid reader I welcomed this journey into the candid and unabashed mind of Rhiannon Cree Kirshner. I find her wit and wisdom refreshing.
In Best of Luck I can guarantee readers will be overwhelmed with many of her insights. There are two illustrations showing a female warrior displaying strength and confidence, providing a break from the relentless drilling of sentences. It is a book which can be picked up, then set aside until curiosity will inevitably draw you back to see what possibly can be added to her line items of “Maybe I write…” It will make you think about yourself, why you – the reader – write as well. This book has a wealth of knowledge in it and I know I will continue to refer to it to stay positive and motivated. I look forward to reading more from Rhiannon, and until then, I wish her the Best of Luck.
