Why Me?

"It came one day, fully, by itself, without prodding, urging, even without thought: Does the river know the rower's gone? Does the rower know the river is still here?" (Seymour Shubin, 'Why Me?') In a writing career spanning over six decades, Seymour Shubin has focussed almost exclusively on fictional and crime stories. Whilst such crime classics as 'Anyone's My Name' and 'The Man From Yesterday' feature Shubin-like alter-egos, these forty poems mark his first truly autobiographical work. 'Why Me?' is by turns touching, funny and thought-provoking as Shubin looks back at his childhood in the Great Depression, the nature of loss and the shadow of death that looms over us all. Steve Hussy's introduction hails the book, highlighting that: "'Why Me?' communicates complex ideas with simplicity, honesty and skill. And, as a result, it's yet another form of writing that Seymour Shubin has mastered. What the hell will he do next?"