Press release from Mind Harvest Press:
Not many die and return to tell the tale, but attorney, musician and impresario R. Bentz Kirby not only survived a catastrophic heart attack, he’s now published a collection of poetry, Dream Work, inspired by the event. A book signing will take place at Firestorm Books & Coffee in Asheville, NC, on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018 from 1 to 2 p.m. Admission is free.
On an otherwise ordinary afternoon in late 2012, Kirby traveled to an upstate South Carolina family reunion with no idea it would also be the day he would almost lose his life. Clinically dead for six minutes, Kirby survived his Sudden Cardiac Arrest thanks to the good fortune of nearby first responders as well as his wife May Kirby, all of whom acted quickly.
“It was like I was led into a room with four doors and told to choose one and move on,” Kirby says of his near-death experience (NDE) while unconscious. “I replied I was not ready to leave my wife. The next morning I awoke in the hospital bed with her by my side.”
Kirby, with two Americana albums to his credit, had been writing poetry and song lyrics for many years when his NDE offered him a fresh existential view of life. Now, his collection Dream Work (Mind Harvest Press, 2018; $9.95) includes 44 poems from before and after the event, all of which explore and describe a wide variety of life — and death — experiences.
A South Carolina native, Kirby practiced law for many years and raised a family before choosing to focus on his lifelong passion for music and poetry. As bandleader of Alien Carnival and Jellyroll & Delicious Dish, he gigs regularly on stages local as well as regional, including the main stage at Magfest 2013 in Live Oak, FL.
Dream Work, now available in print and ebook editions from all major online retailers, has been published by Mind Harvest Press, the indie imprint of award-winning South Carolina author James D. McCallister. For more information about Mind Harvest Press, contact McCallister at editor@mindharvestpress.com.
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