This is a beautiful book of poetry, filled with poems inspired by a tragedy, love, daily writings and more. Shawn Ness has dedicated this book to Nicole Joslyn and Alan Lowrie of Milwaukee, WI who were killed in a senseless act of violence in 2004. This is a beautiful collection of poems that touch the heart. On top of the beauty of his writing, you have the beauty of his goal.

Book Review: And Yet You Continue To Provoke The Night
by Shawn Ness (2009 Independent)

And Yet You Continue To Provoke The Night is a book of poetry that my friend Shawn Ness has put together. It was something that Shawn decided to do for the Joslyn and Lowrie families after their tragic loss on the night of 10-24-2004. All of the royalties of this book will go to the families… families that Shawn has actually never met or spoken with. This book is a journey on many levels: it is personal, productive, painful, and proactive. Shawn is a great poet and has the ability to really express and get in touch with the feelings that many of us probably feel, but cannot express. Shawn has the unique gift of expressing these feelings, and turning them into a work of art.

The book is split into 3 separate chapters. The first is called “Within” and in the author’s words are best described as, “The darkness of pain. Poems that are not sugar-coated, they are the bare naked truth of the internal struggle and sadness that only we can know, alone in our darkest hour, when we feel so very far away from everything.” Chapter 2 bears the title of the book “And Yet You Continue To Provoke The Night”. These are poems specifically dedicated to Nicole Joslyn and Alan Lowrie. The third, and final chapter, is called The Daily Grind. These are some of the best that Shawn has done on a daily basis.

If you are a poetry buff, this is a great book for a worthy cause. If you know someone who likes poetry and expressing their art through words, grab this one and support a worthy endeavor.