Private Hercules McGraw Features Poems on the American Civil War

Anaphora Literary Press is pleased to promote S. Thomas Summers's poetry collection, Private Hercules McGraw: Poems of the American Civil War, which follows young character Hercules McGraw and his experiences on the battlefield during the American Civil War.

Poem by poem, narrator Private McGraw shares his journey through the landscapes of the American Civil War. McGraw, a Confederate soldier and racist, steps into the War in order to assure that slavery will exist long enough for him to purchase a slave with hopes to impress his love, Martha. As McGraw treks through the blood and mire, experiencing both triumph and tragedy, he begins to transform into a man of peace and compassion - a man who no longer sees a black man or a white man; he simply sees a man - a fellow, a brother.

"S. Thomas Summers's Private Hercules McGraw: Poems of the American Civil War is a beautiful exposé on the human condition in wonderful, flowing prose that is as naked as man and as stark as war. Most importantly, the poetry within demonstrates how that human condition evolves when a person is forcibly faced with the realities of his changing beliefs and values. Everyone interested in America's Civil War - student as well as scholar - will relish this poetic story of one man's war; and likely every reader will recognize himself/herself within its lines."
-J. David Petruzzi, author, historical advisor to the television miniseries Appomattox

S. Thomas Summers is an English teacher at Wayne Hills High School in Wayne, NJ and an adjunct professor at Passaic County Community College in Paterson, NJ. He is author of three poetry books, including Private Hercules McGraw: Poems of the American Civil War, which has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Summers' poetry has also been featured in several respected reviews and journals: The Atlantic, the Loch Raven Review, MiPo, and The Pedestal Magazine. He lives with his wife and children in the hills of Northern New Jersey.

($15, ISBN: 978-1-937536-14-5, LCCN: 2011945703, PS3619.U45946 P75 2011, 6X9″, 86pp)

Anaphora Literary Press is an independent publisher that has published dozens of creative and non-fiction books. Among these publications is the Pennsylvania Literary Journal, a tri-annual journal, which has published best-selling authors like Cinda Williams Chima and Carrie Ryan. The press is a member of The Independent Book Publishers Association and The Council of Editors of Learned Journals. Anaphora authors have done readings at major venues. Several titles have been assigned in college classes, and reviewed in major academic, trade and news publications. The Press's Director, Anna Faktorovich, is an English professor.

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