“wild cactus dancer”
“last trip to the doll house”
“shadow world monsters”
“how far down”
“secret children”
“waterfall”
“out of body”
“the day my father died”

I hope this new preview format with additional excerpts gives everyone a better sense of the full scope of the book and the material within. The preview page for Scapegoat’s Cross is located at http://rickbelden.com/new_book.

The interior of the book will be printed in black ink (no color) so I’m looking for illustrations that can be reduced to “book size” and reproduced in halftones without losing the effect of the original artwork. I would anticipate some use of color in the book cover, probably something fairly simple using shades of one or two colors. (The cover of my first book is my best reference point as an example at this time.)

My goal is to develop artwork for the book that expresses, distills, frames, and amplifies the themes, energies, and tones present in the writing. My intention is to provide the reader with a visual context that both introduces and reinforces the material in each section.

This project will require an artist who is able to feel some resonance with the written material and is also capable of translating challenging subject matter and strong archetypal themes from the verbal to the visual, in a manner that is both subtle and powerful.

My preferred style of work for this project is collaborative. I have specific images, themes, and/or visual concepts in mind, in a very raw form, for six of the seven sections of the book, and I would expect all or most of these visual reference points to be incorporated into the finished illustrations. But I’m also looking forward to a creative process that includes input from the artist with regard to concepts and thematic visualization, and I believe that level of active participation on the part of the artist will be essential to the success of the project.

I’m hoping to publish the book in the fall (October) and therefore would like to have the illustrations completed and ready to go by the end of August if possible.

If you think this project may interest you, I’d encourage you to have a look at the material on my website, in particular the “New Book” page, which contains several excerpts that may give you a better idea of tone, style, and themes. You might also find it useful to check out some of the excerpts and even some of the reviews from my first book to give yourself some additional reference points.

If you’d think you might be a good candidate for this project, please contact me via the email address listed on my website at http://rickbelden.com/contact and let me know how I can see some samples of your work.

Thanks to everyone who’s taken the time to read the book and post a review. The complete archive of reviews for the book, at Amazon as well as from other sources, is available at http://rickbelden.com/reviews.

Father’s Day update: I was delighted, shortly after publishing this post, to discover that Iron Man Family Outing is now number 3 on Amazon’s list of books about father-son relationships, based on reader reviews. I’m still quite stunned at this news. I had no idea, but I guess it’s appropriate that I’d find out on Father’s Day, of all days. Wow!

The complete archive of reviews for the book is available at http://rickbelden.com/reviews.

I’m honored and encouraged by Kellen’s recommendation, and hopeful that I can continue to move this new work forward.

Rick’s work, if it is anything, is transformative. It holds out in optimism that by courageously facing the child we were, we can create a more rewarding future for the adult we want to become.

You can read his full post in its entirety at Men’s Well-Being.

In other “IMFO in the UK” news, another counselor based in the United Kingdom, John Kennett of Kent Counselling for Men, recently added Iron Man Family Outing to his Amazon UK Listmania list “Men, masculinity and maturity”, describing the book as a “raw and powerful means of accessing the inaccessible.”

In response to this recent UK news, a friend remarked to me via email, “I do think it is great that Iron Man is offered for sale in English pounds.” I have to agree.

I’ve posted some preview material on my web site at rickbelden.com/new_book, including an excerpt from the introduction and some of the poems that appear in the book.

I’m also making preview copies of the complete manuscript available to those who’d like an early look. Please see rickbelden.com/new_book for information about getting a preview copy.

In her comments about my book, Rebecca said:

What a treat to read such an authentic and heartfelt book. Through the use of poetry Belden tells his story of growing up with an abusive father. Belden allows the reader an insight into his heart and takes us along in his struggles to claim a conscious manhood. If you are looking for pretty poetry, this isn’t the book. This is raw, truthful, and captures both the darkness and the lightness of meeting one’s past. While Iron Man Family Outing may seem to be for men, it helped me as a woman have a better understanding of what men may be going through within themselves.

You can read her full post in its entirety at The Mindful Beat.

Rick Belden is a fellow Austinite who has written a book, Iron Man Family Outing, of healing poetry about his own personal journey of growing up male in American society. His poetry is moving and poignant. His descriptions of his family, himself and his relationships strike a chord with everyone with whom I’ve shared them. I highly recommend this book.

You can read her full post in its entirety at Kellevision and also at Kellen’s blog at Intent.com.

Kellen’s recent post “Making Yourself a Target: Replicating the Scapegoat Role in Your Life – How to Stop Doing It” is yet another insightful entry in her excellent ongoing series on the the role of the scapegoat in dysfunctional family systems. This is a subject that deserves far more attention than it gets, in my opinion. I’m grateful to Kellen for shedding some light on the experience and the dynamics of the scapegoat role, and for providing practical, helpful information for those who need it.