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| Name:Life According to Cornell Wesley |
| Author:Cornell Wesley |
| About Book:With a title like Life, a reader can expect universal themes put in the simplest of heartfelt terms. That’s what you get from Cornell Wesley—his point of view on the things we all understand. He doesn’t bother with poem titles, opting to speak through a progression of numbered psalms. It provides almost a timeline of events throughout one’s life—a series of ideas, opinions, and subject matters that make up one person’s mindset. Wesley darts in and out of rhyme, adding to the various ways he expresses himself and giving the reader an insight into his true feelings.
The first part of the book acts as an introduction to the author, with the first ten psalms dealing mostly with identifying oneself amongst a sea of personalities. Many of us have experienced a bout with the “who am I?” question, so his audience is immediately put at ease—this author understands what it’s like. In Psalm 5, he also admits that he, like most of us, have a mask to hide who we really are. “I can pretend to be something I’m not and people believe me. And what’s sad is that sometimes I believe myself.” In the same poem, he touches on the idea of support along those rocky roads we sometimes have to endure on our journey to greatness. “How can a lost soul save another?” As I read it, I felt it—I, too feel like my drive and willpower have faltered, but can still cling to the positive in those chaotic times.
The psalms/poems then turn to a subject of love and the lack of it. The story seems to begin at the end of a relationship and the questions that arise as a result. It almost seems as though Wesley, like a lot of us, wonder if loneliness is an acceptable consequence of being single. As if we should tolerate something we don’t truly believe in, just to avoid that frustration and “lack of attention”. The author goes on to wrestle with the notions of love, sexuality, and society in the next several psalms. He admits to turning to self-medicating, a route his readers are probably familiar with as well (take a smoke break!!)
Throughout the book, Wesley is open about his relationship with God—his prayers, his fears, and his doubts. Spirituality is the underlying sense that seems to keep the author inspired to move forward with life. He speaks of it in Psalm 42; the “constant quest/contest/me against myself”. The higher power within oneself struggling against his/her humanity is apparent in the writing, and it is something that a great deal of people will be able to relate to. It enables Wesley, as well as his readers, to understand passion, love, and what it means to have lived.
By K. Dayo |
| Price:14.99 |
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