Full Throttle is a collection of poems served straight up, like a shot of whiskey, Gary Chappell writes about friction points in life, those moments of resistance or acceptance that lead to self-discovery: the freedom of a motorbike ride; the cry of a loon; the depth of love, of loss. From prairie to northern forest, Gary's poems portray a cross-section of our culture, sometimes written with despair, sometimes tongue-in-cheek.

Awards:
Finalist. 2014 High Plains Book Awards.

Gary Chappell was born and raised in Prince Albert where farmland surrenders to the northern forest. The son of a motorcycle-riding mechanic who flew with bush pilots in the ’40s and a sensitive farm girl from a prairie homestead, Gary inherited an adventurous spirit mixed with an artistic temperament, plus a lifelong interest in motorcycles. His explorations did not lead him to creative writing until after retirement as a professional engineer. Gary's writing is inspired by the friction within our culture and he considers himself lucky to be living though a time of such tremendous social change: from horse-drawn milk wagons and iceboxes to moon-men, Hendrix, cellphones, and iPads. His poems have been published in Spring, FreeFall, Transition, Leaf Press, and The Fieldstone Review.Full Throttle is Gary's first collection of poems. He lives in Saskatoon with his loved ones, serves as a board member for the Saskatoon Writers Coop, and is a founding member of the Obsessors poetry group.

Gary Chappell's profile page