“Creeping Shadows” by Swede Hastings is among the books displayed by Author Reputation Press during the 76th Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany, on October 16-20, 2024.
The 76th Frankfurter Buchmesse (16–20 October 2024) puts a spotlight on current topics in the world of international publishing and on today’s socio-political issues. At the same time, it is expanding the venues that allow readers and authors to interact, with an emphasis this year on the growing desire younger readers have to engage with literature. The book fair’s opening ceremony took place on 15 October 2024 under the motto “FBM24 is Read!ng—Read. Reflect. Relate.”
Frankfurter Buchmesse is one of the world’s most important stages for current debates on international and socio-political events. In Frankfurt, we bring together the people whose business is ideas, open a constructive dialogue on pressing issues, and meet on equal footing with those who have different views.
Frankfurter Buchmesse strives to be the key business event for our customers, providing them with all the components they need to succeed. We achieve this by informing them about important trends and topics, enabling their contact with important players in the respective markets, and, above all, helping them pave the way to innovative business models in the book and media industry. All year round. On an international scale.
We see the book fair as a platform to share our passion for good stories and to experience creativity that engages all the senses. It’s where the fans and friends of renowned authors can meet and enjoy close encounters with their idols. At the heart of it, Frankfurter Buchmesse is a crossroads where people and culture meet. Frankfurter Buchmesse stands for respect, diversity, and tolerance. We celebrate our wide range of different participants, whom we engage with at eye level in open dialogue.
This year, Frankfurter Buchmesse is once again demonstrating its indispensability as a venue for professional exchange in the global book industry, thanks to its fully booked Literary Agents & Scouts Centre (LitAg), the largest meeting place of its kind worldwide, as well as an expanded audio area and an increase in international stages and trade events, including high-ranking CEO talks.
The mission of Author Reputation Press is to foster literary connections between authors and readers. In line with this, ARP displayed several of its remarkable books at the largest book trade fair in the world. The book gallery was even more interesting because of the large variety of genres in the exhibition.
“Creeping Shadows” is a collection of poems. With a very special appreciation for the simpler things in life come these poems. Great values were gained from the most wonderful parents any human could have. The author’s dad and mom gave him a precious, memorable, and unequaled childhood filled with love and sensitivity, which is a rare find. They were truly example-givers. Any and all shortcomings throughout his life were because of his own foolishness.
His folks were simple, honest, and hardworking people. They not only gave of themselves, but no one around them would ever have a reason to go hungry or without. They were always helping the less fortunate. In his earlier years, whether living in a fruit picker’s shed or sharing a tent together, there was always a lot of laughter or music around the campfire after working in the cotton, potato, or onion fields.
The poems in this book are collected from dreams, stories told, his experiences, trials, and his own personal perception of life, nature, or family matters, be it heartbreak from the loss of a loved one, the songs of a bird, or the smell of the fir, pine, or juniper. Then, as the years passed, the collection of poems grew. From 1959 to date, more have been burned than saved. As circumstances changed in his life, he found no reason to keep certain poems.
The son of John and Viola Hastings, author Swede Hastings was born in 1941 in the small town of Roseburg, Oregon. In his early years, the family moved to the western part of the United States, following the fruit and work available. His family later returned to Roseburg and bought a small farm.
In 1958, Swede joined the US Navy. The next year, there was a major explosion in the city of Roseburg, devastating the town. Swede, age 18, received emergency leave to help his family. While on leave, an accidental hunting tragedy resulted in his 15-year-old brother’s death. Due to the emotional trauma he was suffering, Swede was institutionalized in California, where he had relived details of the accident. It was this tragedy that inspired him to write his first poem, Creeping Shadows.
Once released from the hospital, Swede found that keeping busy kept his mind off the accident. Throughout the different highs and lows of his life, Swede would turn to words as an outlet. As with his first poem, the page seemed to hold the answers for dealing with things in a way that was too emotional to confront any other way. Swede feels that there is a time and place for each thought to be expressed, and we all have our unique individual ways of expressing our feelings. Since accepting the Lord, Swede believes that the best is yet to come.
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