Have you ever been so utterly consumed by another person that your emotions sway back and forth, between deep affection and drenching lust? That when you find yourself in their presence there is a part of you that still reaches out, almost desperately, yet tenderly, for more? More of them? More of their being? More of their very essence?

I belong to you
I'm a song for you

Touch me and taste me
Take me and break me

Break me into a million butterflies (35)

When I read Rebecca Johnson's book, "Moonbeam Moths", I found myself deliriously engulfed in wet waves, rocking helplessly between romance and passion. For me, this book is more than simply reading good poetry, it is a powerful and intoxicating experience. "Moonbeam Moths" goes far beyond the beautiful expressions of a woman's feelings, it is an ecstatic escape with a sensual soul, to a succulent field of flowers.

Breathlessly erotic at times, gently fragile at others, Rebecca Johnson gracefully explores the complex mysteries of the feminine spirit. Eloquent and intelligent, yet genuinely impassioned, "Moonbeam Moths" tastefully excites the senses and arouses the sincere supplications of the heart.

~Brian Douthit
author of "Perfectly Said: when words become art"

"My brother would get grounded for being 10 minutes late for dinner. By the time they got
around to me, it was pretty much 'No heroin in the living room.'" (3)
-Mike Dugan, joking about being the youngest child in a big family and his parent's possible leniency.

By the time I read the sentences above, I had laughed six times already and I was only on page 3.
To say this book is some of the best good-natured humor anyone can read is an understatement.
Mike Dugan delivers his mature and personal message about becoming the "right kind of man"
with what is often knee-slapping, belly-rolling, and even telephone-your-friends-and-pretend-you-
made-it-up-yourself, comedy. (If you're not good at telling jokes I suggest you use text messaging
and simply copy these jokes word for word from this book.)

In, "Men Fake Foreplay...And Other Lies That Are True", Mike Dugan shares his introspective
quest to discover the dynamics involved between men and women in order to develop his own
personal philosophy. He begins this quest by asking two simple questions: "What makes a man?"
and "What do women want?" He addresses these two insightful questions throughout the book
with chapters and headings such as: Communication; Domestic Priorities; Blame; Commitment;
Boxing, Bubble Baths, and Big Boys Crying; to name a few.

Mike Dugan is no relationship expert and doesn't claim to be. If anything, he comes across in this
book as an average guy with normal thoughts, healthy desires, and realistic expectations and
emotions. He is the first to point out his own mistakes, misconceptions, and misadventures in the
area of relationships and his interactions with the opposite sex. These mis-understandings have
caused him much pain and regret in his own life, and he often displays a more serious side to these
issues when they subsequently inflict pain upon the women he's been associated with:

"...if you choose to avoid your own ignorance when it reveals itself to you,
it becomes arrogance..." (65)

These are immensely profound words from someone who comes across as an "average guy",
but that's why this book is so enjoyable and worthy of reading. From a man's point of view, it
reads as though two guys are sitting around having a deep and meaningful conversation about
women. Men won't talk without laughing, and they will surely lose interest if it is nothing more
than the typical feel-good group therapy session. Mike Dugan is a man's man, and he has done
an expert job (as a non-expert) in this book of sharing his experiences and personal philosophy.
Men seem to shy away from experts, and men don't even read the books by experts; but men
talk to each other and laugh, and realistically most men will listen to reason. Sometimes,
men just need to hear the right words from someone like Mike Dugan, who has obviously
put a great deal of thought and good intention behind becoming the "right kind of man".

According to Mike Dugan, "the right kind of man" will honestly listen to a woman and nurture her.
He will develop his character and create an environment of trust with the actions he takes and
the words he uses. "Men Fake Foreplay...And Other Lies That Are True" really isn't about sex,
it's about what a man does when he's NOT having sex. With this great little book, Mike Dugan
points MANkind to the next level of social evolution. Every man should own a copy of this book,
and then he should pass it along to his sons.

~Brian Douthit
author of "Perfectly Said: when words become art"

"If your everyday life appears to be unworthy subject matter, do not complain to life.
Complain to yourself. Lament that you are not poet enough to call up its wealth."
-Rainer Maria Rilke, on themes for writing poetry.

Anyone who writes poetry, and perhaps even those involved in other forms of creative endeavors, may find the words within this book a mirror of themselves. I say that only because a mirror shows us our current reflection, and as we change throughout our life, the reflection changes with us. The beautiful and gentle expressions Rainer Maria Rilke writes to Franz Kappus are meant for a young poet, but their magnitude and depth are such that they could continue to be an endless source of insight and wisdom as he continued to evolve as a poet. I'm certain that we can all see ourselves in these wonderful words, and we can also witness what we aspire to be.

Even as Rilke admits that Jens Jacobsen, the writer, and Auguste Rodin, the sculptor, taught him something of the depth and enduring quality of creativity, it is always to the poet's own personal experiences and inward impetus, that he continually points to as the true source for art. For it may very well be that a poet is often inspired by these outward influences, it is still to those unique ideas and beautiful emotions that often remain on the edge of his own comprehension that an artist seeks to fully express. As Rainer Maria Rilke so eloquently writes, "To allow the completion of every impression, every germ of a feeling deep within, in darkness, beyond words, in the realm of instinct unattainable by logic...that alone is to live one's art."

The requisite to read these ten letters written over one hundred years ago has endured for generations, and will continue to do so. This is because they are the indispensable words from the heart of an evolved soul and master poet. The words Rainer Maria Rilke writes to Franz Kappus are never harsh, never judgmental, or critical; they are always kind, thoughtful and gentle. By sharing his own deep understanding of the nature of humanity and the creative spirit, Rilke encourages us all to reach for limitless possibilities and discover our own wellspring of being.

"It is always my wish that you might find enough patience within yourself to endure, and enough innocence to have faith."
-Rainer Maria Rilke on bringing the inner and outer life into harmony

~Brian Douthit
author of Perfectly Said: when words become art