Michael Sadler

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Michael Sadler has been tracing the curvatures of his existence through songwriting, poetry and photography for more than half his life. In his debut collection of verse, Fade to Blue, Sadler shines a spotlight on the many facets of our lived experiences?the inevitable connections that weave through adolescence, young adulthood and middle-age. He captures the contagious energy and extreme despairs of youth, the tumultuous realities of adulthood, and the agonizing nostalgia of the timelessness of unrequited love. While wrestling with the questions of life and how to live it, living with purpose, and finding meaning in the journey, these poems offer an honest exploration of the value of solitude and our pursuit for connection. As Sadler writes stirringly about identity, road trips, memories of his father, love never reciprocated, spirituality, and death, he illustrates the need for moments of both agony and affection?the night and the stars?to fully appreciate all that life has to offer.

The Parisien now wants to be a paysan, but it's easier said than done . . . How do you plant leeks in cement-hard French soil, impress Gallic neighbours with your non-existent gardening credentials and survive a seven-hour celebratory communion lunch (followed by dinner)? What skills are required to cope with suicidal French mice (souricide?), resist the advances of an attractive but desperate lady cheese-maker during an English lesson, buy wine from Mr Grump the grower, and -- last but not least -- stoop so low as to snap up the plastic trophy in the annual garden competition? AN ENGLISHMAN A LA CAMPAGNE is a wonderfully warm and witty follow-up to the author's account of his first year living in Paris. Now broadening his affectionate embrace to include the myriad facets of the French countryside, Sadler makes you laugh, makes you think, and makes you love the place . . . even Donges, which won first prize in his competition for the grottiest village in France.

This is Michael Sadler's account of his first year in Paris, describing such continental confusions as the etiquette of flower-buying, the role of cricket in French foreplay, and the dangers "black butter" presents not just to one's cholesterol levels but also to dry-cleaning bills.