Public Information by Rolf Margenau is a story of the Korean War, told from the perspective of Wylie Cypher, a correspondent for an Army Public Information office near the 38^th parallel and a reporter for the Stars and Stripes in Tokyo.  Although many stories have been told about the “greatest generation” of World War II, the Korean War has remained obscure for many Americans. By putting a face and a story to the Korean War, Margenau brings the Korean War to life in the imaginations of his readers.

Margenau created Public Information from the contents of three hundred letters he wrote from Japan, Korea and other locations to his future wife, who painstakingly preserved and organized them, as well as other factual sources, basing the story around actual events and memories to make it a truly authentic work of historical fiction.  His protagonist, Wylie Cypher, joins the Army in 1952 to become a master of the Russian language; however, unexpected incidents take him on a different path and he finds himself embroiled in the conflict of the Korean War.

Margenau’s story illuminates many aspects of war, showing that it is not all about guns, killing, and conquering and that while war is always war, it can include humor, romance, and other aspects of life that are often overlooked.  Public Information is a riveting story that is certain to entertain readers of all generations, whether they remember the Korean War or are lovers of historical fiction.

Although much of Wylie’s story is based on the author’s own personality and experiences, from the long-distance romance to the protagonist’s sometimes immature nature, it is not an autobiography of a single person so much as it is an autobiography of an entire generation, told with a compelling voice that ensures that the “forgotten war” will be remembered by readers of Public Information for all time.

                                                                                                                                                                                        Archer Anderson

Beautiful Collection of Elizabethan Poetry Paired with Photographs of Flowers

Pistils and Poetry is a beautiful collection of poetry and photography selected by Rolf Margenau, combining Elizabethan poetry with striking floral images.  The book is intended to address Margenau’s growing concern with a society that has reduced itself to 140-character communications, which “does not bode well for the future of the English language.”  Margenau offers his readers a respite from the world of digital communications with pictures and language that inspire beauty and carry readers away to other places and other times.

Readers will enjoy seeing favorite poems by Christopher Marlowe, Edmund Spenser, Ben Jonson, William Shakespeare, John Donne, Sir Henry Wotton, Sir Walter Raleigh, and many more alongside stunning visual imagery. Many readers may ask the question “Why pictures of flowers?”  Margenau explains that “although these poems are anything but ‘flowery,’ in my mind poems evoke a sense of flowers: multi hued, intricately constructed, amazing in detail and elevating of spirit.”  He goes on to explain the connection between flowers and flowery language; “Flowery language connotes rhetorical elegance, which all these works certainly have.”  The pictures of flowers are each beautiful in their own regard, depicting various seasons, whether they are covered in snow and ice, the raindrops of April showers, or playing host to a late summer bumblebee gently resting; the poets take us through the seasons of life and the photography takes us through the seasons of the year.

Although poetry lovers may be familiar with many of the poems, Pistils and Poetry brings them to readers in an entirely new format, accompanied by stunning photography and offering a vacation of the mind in our daily lives. This book is a beautiful addition to any reader’s collection, making a perfect gift, whether you are giving it to yourself or a difficult-to-buy-for person in your life.

Archer Anderson