Never Stop Dancing

By Toni Ortner

“The chapbook is about the experience of being in a mental hospital although it could have been about being in any kind of prison. The specifics are here, and it is well written.” —Judy Hogan, Motheroot Journal

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Feb 2, 2016
• ISBN: 9781504029131

Toni Ortner

Toni Ortner lives in Brattleboro, Vermont where she is Vice President of the Write Action Board, a nonprofit organization that sponsors evengts and readings for writers in New England. She is the point person for the Write Action Radio Hour and hosts her own show the fourth Sunday of each month where she interviews writers and they read work. The program can be streamed on line at wvew.org Toni has had l4 books published by fine small presses. In 2012 Summoned (Goose River Press) was published. It is about six famous women who heard the call of the Divine and altered their lives to change history. These women speak in first person. Reviews of Summoned are online at Amazon reviews. The book can be ordered through gooseriverpress.com or as an e book. In 2012 Writing With Our Blood was published by Moon Publishing Company. The book honors 20th century women: writers, artists, survivors of war. There is a section devoted to Lyn Lifshin based on letters, a section on mothers and daughters and women friends The book can be ordred at www.moon publiishing. com or as an e book. In 2013 three new books will be published. A White Page Demands Its Letters and Traveling, a Perspective will be ;published by unboundcontent.com. Traveling, a Perspective is about a woman' transition after divorce. It is an honest, breathtaking account. Review by Lyn Lifshin can be seen on web.me,com/Ver,ontviews/vermontviews/Reviews Old%26New.html. Double Jeopardy will be published by Finishing Line Press. Toni is available for readings and teaching.

Book preview

The black girl

in the padded cell next to me

beat the walls screamed all night

no one cld shut

didn’t care

how long

she was there

same inside or out

the rules broke her

now she was gonna break every fuckin rule

in the

place she didn’t make

I wanted to get my razor back

when the sun came up

one with the nice sharp edges

made sure to walk past the

nurse’s station

with a light high step

a clear cheerful whistle

they wrote down everything

everything went onto those charts

even the color of yr

piss

analyzed

rules even in there

stop pass proceed to go

get

out.

50 60 70 80 90

I am the engine

the Engineer is not heresorry

he