Knock, Knock, Grandma's Dead: Eternal Elegies for the Dearly Deceased

About the Book

From silly to somber, this collection of poems tells us how Grandma dies when she goes from planting the daisies to pushing them up. Ma Bones and Nick Dunkenstein set out to tackle the taboo subject of death. They wanted to make a complicated topic approachable through the whimsical and the macabre. While the title might seem jarring, it is also arresting. The word "Dead," free of euphemism, conveys finality.

The book attempts to tackle death in three of its forms: absurd, lonely, and peaceful. Each poem acts as a miniature story with a "set-up" in the first stanza, while the last stanza is the "take-away." Form and structure aid the consistency of the collection, while the content of each poem is always unique. Utilizing this format, the creators craft a dialogue about death. This conversation opens up the possibility of an expression of thoughts and feelings, in regards to the subject of bereavement.

Why Grandma? Because grandmothers are the hearth and heart of a home. They rear and raise a family. When we lose a grandmother, we lose a companion and mentor, but hopefully, through loss, we gain the inheritance of their wisdom and spirit. From a modern Rock Gran, who passes when struck down by lighting, to a Grandma who sits alone waiting on her family which never arrives for a holiday feast only to wither away alone in "Home," these poems open the dialogue about death while going on to explore our relationship as a society with the elderly.

Overall, this collection opens our minds. It provides a cause for conversation, allowing us to explore our feelings, as it teaches us to be aware of the ailments that afflict our elders and appreciate their personalities and unique histories.

About the Author :
Ma Bones is an English teacher of 5 years. When not mentally arranging children into tableaus of poetic expression, Ma works as a co-founder of "Deadsteins". As a poet Ma Bones desires to bring accessible writing workshops and events to multiple local communities. "Knock, Knock, Grandma's Dead" will be Ma Bones first official publication, but readers can experience more or Ma Bone's writing through the blog "DustJackt". Nick Dunkenstein has many years of experience as an illustrator and artist. Her illustrations appear in books including Ghost Compost, Ottis Toole: A Southern Gothic, and The Lonely Goldfish. Additional publications include several magazines and newspapers. She has also had her work on display in an assortment of galleries, restaurants, and even designed tattoos. Alongside these achievements Nick has worked and toured with bands and musicians, such as Last Electric Rodeo, in various capacities including album art work and performances. Nick Dunkentstein is also a co-founder of "Deadsteins." B.C. Hatch has worn many hats over her life. Known initially for her appearance as Brittany, on cycle 8 of America's Next Top Model, she went on to model under her middle name Corinne as an editorial model. From there, she expanded her career into journalism, poetry, graphic design, music, and other creative industries. It was in 2016 with the birth of her daughter that she began her favorite role as a mom. As a mother, she wanted her daughter and girls everywhere to be empowered on their journey of self-discovery. It was because of this that she decided to venture into children's literature-often where the internalizing of cultural norms begins. Inspired by her daughter, she wrote her debut book debut book "Beyond Pretty." An alphabet book, which teaches children and reminds adults to recognize the endless list of positive qualities that little girls exhibit that go beyond their outer beauty. Alongside the launch of this book she founded her publishing company Little ChickLit Books, with the intent of producing socially aware literature, which aimed to helped fill some of the voids she saw within the children's market. She feels that children's literature not only enhances a child's development of language and critical thinking, which provides a foundation for learning; but teaches empathy, social awareness, philosophy and gives children information which shapes their view of the world. In an effort to produce books that will cultivate a responsible consciousness in the youth of today for a brighter tomorrow. Books which seek to educate, inspire, and empower children. She was the