Talk about a book that came out of nowhere! Talk about an AHA! moment. There I was, looking up some legend in trusty Bulfinch and The Jerry Springer Show crossed my television set. Suddenly, it hit me – same old stories. Wronged lovers, triangles, paternity, inter-generational relationships, even a brother-and-sister couple – just like the earliest of the Greek gods. And lots more. The Springer guests had nothing on those wild old ones – Zeus and his endless masquerades and seductions, Hera ever on the watch for his straying off to play with mortals, Aphrodite (embodiment of the most powerful force, love – or lust). A god or demi-god or goddess for everything.

Jerry Springer is probably the most recognized name on television (and radio) today, though no one admits to watching his show. I do. Very carefully. I taped the episodes that were the basis for each poem, although you cannot make this stuff up. Then, it happened that I strung together, very loosely, the rising of human civilization in Greece. This is our literary heritage. We use words that refer to this knowledge every day, yet it is so little studied. I introduce the story/mythology, present a poem, and then discuss the concepts and ideas. Last, there are Internet references. Index, too. And not a dirty word - aren't you surprised?