Lending Color to the Otherwise Absurd is a collection of poems and paintings that incorporate the poems into the art--both art and poetry are the works of the author. Subjects reflect insights into family, travel, politics, and abstract concepts. There's humor, wisdom and adventure interpreted both visually and verbally. Calvo's two cancer diagnoses also inspire opportunities for reflection. As everyone knows, some people are struck by lightning while others win the lottery. While we can strive to make changes that help us manage, we recognize that some things cannot change. Therefore, the art of living is to interpret or 'color' pervasive absurdities with a beauty, irony or compassion that makes nonsense less disagreeable and even amusing. Doing so invites us to engage more fully and report, act or think with greater mindfulness and compassion. Each poem in "Lending Color to the Otherwise Absurd" presents life from a fresh perspective. Overall, the book invites readers to look at life differently; to take life's absurdities, turn them upside down and move on a little stronger.
