Now and Then is an anthology of original compositions written over the last five years. Nevertheless, they represent a lifetime of personaland private experiences, insights, ideas, and impressions. The poems represent, strong or weak, a serious first attempt to share these verypersonal expressions with others. Writing them was a creative exploration and immersion for a person with dubious, unpromising, and unexpectedscholarly origins. The title of the book is meant to convey two meanings. First, the title reflects the occasional nature of the creation of the poems as inspiration occurred. They were written, triggered, and driven by inspiration, written at various times and in various places, because, as most writersand artists know, inspiration is frequently unexpected, serendipitous, and fleeting. Second, the title conveys the content of the poems froma temporal perspective. Some of the poems contain historical content, "then," while others contain rather contemporary themes or currentevents occurring "now."