The great Hudson Valley poet Rebecca Schumejda has a new book Waiting at the Dead End Diner, published by Bottom Dog Press.
This collection of poems, which reads like a novel was a long time coming and tells the story of a waitress discovering who she is and what is truly important while waiting tables at a diner. This work was inspired by the decade I spent waiting tables and all the amazing coworkers and customers who became my second family. Last year, I put an apron back on for a short time and realized my respect for the industry remains unwavering. Reminded of just how vital, yet under-appreciated, food industry workers are, I feel proud to pay homage to them.
The Kindle version of Waiting at the Dead End Diner is now available through Amazon. The hard copy is currently available for pre-order and will be out later this week. When it is officially released, it will also be available through SPD Booksellers, and at Half Moon Books in Kingston. The book release party is currently scheduled for July 26 at Half Moon Books.
Rebecca is scheduled to read at several poetry readings and spoken word events this year including The Howland Cultural Center (Beacon, NY) in April with Janet Hamill, The Corneila Street Cafe (Greenwich Village, NYC) in July, and at Levy Fest in Cleveland Ohio in October.
Here is a book of poems that reads like a novel. Rebecca Schumejda welcomes you into the diner where she works as a waitress along with a family of co-workers and diners. Order Up! Schumejda throws an apron at you & before you can even get it tied she pulls you into the elaborate world of the Dead End Diner. Through exquisite storytelling rich with magnificent metaphor & razor-sharp insight you will work with & wait on a brilliant cast of characters & like any job, you’ll love some & hate some – you’ll lose some & win some. Poverty, abuse, abortion & racism, among other controversial topics, sizzle red-hot on grill while you wait on drunk college kids, dig through garbage cans looking for a lost set of dentures & talk about the strangest tip you have ever gotten. When your shift ends, you won’t walk away with an empty plate, your heart will be full of love for that perfect imperfection that you are served with any family, whether it’s blood or ketchup pumping through your veins. There should be a display of these books on every counter at every diner across America!
-Amanda Oaks, Words Dance
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