Product Description

Inspired by a puzzling series of dreams about a favorite comic book hero from his boyhood, the author embarks upon an arduous but ultimately healing odyssey into a dark and damaged internal landscape, the wreckage of a childhood spent with an angry, abusive, distant father. As he begins to understand these dreams, and allows them to lead him forward, he also begins to accept his unique personal history, understand its consequences in his adult life, and take responsibility for his own healing.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #662829 in Books
• Published on: 1990-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 106 pages

Review
Along the way to a more conscious manhood, Belden leads us through wrenching encounters with fathers and sons. -- Betty S. Flowers, Editor, Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth

There's a lot of bare-bones revelation in here ... Frighteningly open and very strong. -- Mike Gunderloy, Editor, Factsheet Five

This collection of harrowing and healing poetry is the best volume of men's poetry I have read. -- Lyman Grant, Editor, MAN! magazine

From the Author
I never intended to write this book, or any book for that matter. And I certainly didn't set out initially to share something this raw and personal with the rest of the world. But as these poems emerged and took shape, it became clear to me that there was a powerful transpersonal process at work that was bigger than me and my own life.

In that context, the creation of this book took on something of a sacred quality for me. I came to realize that, by opening a window into some of the deepest, most intimate places in myself and my process, I might also help other men see themselves more clearly and take action to address issues in their own lives. I hope that both men and women alike can find some truly personal value in this work.

I would also like to acknowledge the work of artist John Dolley, who did such an incredible job of bringing so many of the themes and images in the book to life with his haunting, beautifully rendered illustrations.

About the Author
Rick Belden is a poet, writer, information technologist, and consultant who lives in Austin, TX.

Customer Reviews

Moving
Belden has taken my breath away with this compilation of poems. His work contradicts many of the deeply held stereotypes of men. He weaves the reader in and out of both tragedy and hope. His naked truth about his family, his relationships, his work, sex, and discovering himself will take the reader on a journey of intimacy, vulnerabilty, strength, and resilence. A true 'hero' is Belden for taking on such a challenge and rising above the things that haunt many of us. Thank you Rick!

Shelley Imholte, LMSW

What an incredibly moving book
I don't read much but this is a book that I can't put down. Throughout my journey in life, often times I've felt alone. As a man in his mid-thirties, it often seems that no one is eager to empathize with your struggles in life. Often times, I find myself in a sad place where I feel uncared for and misunderstood.

This book is a real eye opener. It's very rare to find someone like Rick who can articulate his emotion in such a way that it really moves you. Like many of the other reviewers have stated, be prepared. I don't allow myself to "feel" much, but as I read along with the "Iron Man" I can feel myself opening up to someone who is showing empathy for themselves, and in a way, for me.

To say I was able to identify with this book is an understatement. I feel as though I do the book a disservice by calling it a "tool" in my theraputic arsenal, but that's the best way to describe it. The collection of poems is such an easy read -- read one and you will be immediately absorbed to where you can't put it down. Whenever I'm feeling low, and feel that no one empathizes with me, I pick up the "Iron Man" and realize that my struggles aren't always unique, and that I'm not alone in how I feel.

This book sits in the top drawer of my desk, there whenever I need it.

Thanks Rick.

added to my own book
Rick's book made such an impact on me that I asked him if I could use some of his poems to tell his story in my own book, Drinking the Dragon: Stories of the Dark Nights of Soul. I was especially glad to find him, since it has not been as easy to find males as it has females to discuss their vulnerability and despair during a transformative dark night experience. What made Rick's book so inspiring was that he did not stay in the dark night, but moved through it to "a more conscious manhood."