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About Poetry Chapbooks by Percy Kleinops

Handwords defined

HandWords (tm)

Thoughts come to mind or are spoken; unless the hand records them, the words will likely be lost forever.

What is a Poetry Chapbook?

A chapbook is a type of small printed booklet originally popular in early modern Europe (16th – 18th century) and referred to as “street literature”. Produced simply and inexpensively, chapbooks were affordable to the average person. These little books, usually no more than 40 pages long, were produced by printers and provided on credit to salesmen, called chapmen, who sold them at markets and fairs and gave these small inexpensively produced booklets their name.

Chapbooks subjects varied from short stories, family history to poetry. These books were often traded among owners giving this “street literature“ wide distribution. They were small enough to fit into pockets and carried to enjoy during the day.

My poetry Chapbooks are 5”x7” covering a wide base of subjects from Holidays to Social Justice to Love, a personal journey, my observations, some humor, some challenging but all authentically me. I use my original art, digital and on canvas, for the covers and within. Find out more about my art at percykleinops.com

I hope you enjoy my Chapbooks!

Why I write Poetry Chapbooks.

I must write poetry. Something inside me forces me to write. But then, I want to write. There is so much inside that demands to get out. I write everyday. I write simply. Words I choose, alone or together, are chosen to create a visual, an emotion, a challenge, a plea or a question; all seeking to be enjoyed, be embraced, bring awareness or be answered.

“Empathy is our ability to connect to one another by understanding the similarities of our emotions. Empathy ... is a radical force for social transformation.” Tracy Rittmueller from her article “Why Poetry Fosters The Art of Empathy” August 20, 2021