Imago, Dei is a chapbook of poems. I don’t know if these poems are autobiographical, but I hope not. Because if they are, then the poet’s life was scarred by being brought up in a strict evangelical church; that, and having a father with anger issues, whose primary goal in fathering was making sure his daughters didn’t behave like whores. Apparently, he did not succeed.

Throughout the eighteen poems, Elizabeth Johnston Ambrose compares the “imago Dei,” the image of God that Judeo-Christian scripture teaches humanity is created in, with the “imago” (an insect, such as a moth or a butterfly, in its adult stage after metamorphosis) and another meaning of “imago” (the idealized image of a parent formed in childhood and persisting unconsciously into adulthood). These terms are defined before the first poem.

Baptism comes up in several of the poems, as well as body image and self-harm. Guilt underlies some of the poems. Many of the poems express fear of the father, and longing for approval of the father. One poem clings to memories of moments of tenderness.

Imago, Dei is not easy to read, but it is well-written and touched my emotions, even though my own experiences are very different. That’s what poems do, don’t they? Though sometimes they connect with the reader because of universalities, good poems can also make you feel someone else’s pain, a pain that you’ve never experienced. Elizabeth Johnston Ambrose succeeded in that.

Keep It Moving was not the book I anticipated. Subtitled Lessons for the Rest of Your Life and written by famous dancer and choreographer Twyla Tharp, I was expecting it to be about how vital physical movement is to aging well–whether dancing, walking, sports, or exercise. Yes, she does give lots of suggestions and advice about moving your body, but the bulk of the book is about continuing to move forward, avoiding stagnancy.

As you go through your life, you will experience change, and that’s good, because no progress is ever made by staying the same. However, change brings challenge. You can move forward by learning how to use change to its best advantage, or you can resist and be left behind.

The book is divided into twelve chapters with catchy titles like “Kick into High Gear,” “Hope Less, Plan More,” “Build a Second Act,” and “Shut Up and Dance.” The tone of the book is upbeat. Tharp illustrates her thoughts with wonderful stories. My favorite is about Martin Luther King, Jr. at the 1963 March on Washington. His good friend Mahalia Jackson, the gospel singer, was in the crowd of 250,000. As Dr. King was delivering his speech, Jackson wanted him to kick it into high gear. 50 feet away from the stage, she called, “Tell them about the dream, Martin!”

King’s planned speech that day did not include the “I have a dream” segment, but she had heard it two months earlier in a sermon he had delivered in Detroit. After she called out a second time, he pivoted and told the story of his dream from memory, ending with words from a spiritual, “free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, free at last.” One of the most famous speeches in history, one that still stirs people today.

Keep It Moving is a strategy for living your best life. If I were president of the United States, every person would be issued a copy of this book on their 25th birthday, and instructed to reread it every five years. I know I will be rereading it regularly.