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Humor Meets Healing in The Usefulness of Hippopotamus

The Usefulness of Hippopotamus A Humorous Chapbook for Trying Times

Los Angeles, California Jan 20, 2026 (Issuewire.com) - Award-winning poet Vincent J. Tomeo releases a refreshingly uplifting collection of free verse poems in The Usefulness of Hippopotamus: A Humorous Chapbook for Trying Times, a book born from laughter in the face of pain. Tomeo, a cancer survivor, leaned on humor as his medicine while navigating the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic and personal illness. The result: a deeply human and delightfully strange collection of poems designed to soothe the spirit and tickle the mind.

In a recent IndieReader Review, Craig Jones praises Tomeos droll and affecting tone, calling the collection a singularly fertile source of poetic inspiration. The chapbook features nearly fifty pieces that explore death, aging, recovery, and resiliencealways with a twist of wit. Poems like Flight AA4114, Nuclear Medicine, and Cemetery Samba Roll deliver playful wordplay and surprising emotional depth.

Known for his rich literary voice and creative flourishes, Tomeo blends real-world experiences with whimsical imagination. It is what you write when you choose to laugh instead of weep, Tomeo says. I found peace and joy among the hippopotami.

Vincent J. Tomeo, a poet, historian, and public speaker based in Queens, NY, has published over 1,000 poems and essays internationally. He is the author of My Cemetery Friends and was honored with the Rainer Maria Rilke International Poetry Award. His work has appeared in global venues from Italy to South Korea and is even etched in marble in Calabria, Italy.

The Usefulness of Hippopotamus is available in print and digital formats.

Source :Olympus Story House

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Acclaimed horror novelist and U.S. Army veteran Vanessa M. Chattman returns with a chilling new supernatural tale that promises to haunt readers long after the final page. Her latest novel, BENEATH THE OAK, delivers a gripping blend of psychological terror, hidden family secrets, and ghostly suspensecementing Vanessa M. Chattmans reputation as one of the most compelling voices in modern horror.

Set in the quiet isolation of rural America, BENEATH THE OAK follows Alyssa Ward, a grieving woman forced to confront the shadows of her past when she returns to her childhood home after her mothers sudden death. What she expects to be a simple homecoming becomes a descent into a generational nightmare. The massive oak tree looming behind the houseonce a symbol of comfortnow pulses with an eerie, oppressive presence. At night, whispers seep from its roots, and ghostly silhouettes gather beneath its branches, watching, waiting.

As Alyssa sorts through her mothers belongings, she discovers a series of journals revealing a dark family curse tied to the ancient tree. For generations, the Ward family has been tormented by a spirit bound to the oakone that selects a single family member to keep beneath its roots. When Alyssa begins experiencing visions of a young girl calling her name, begging for release, she realizes the curse is awakening once more.

The deeper Alyssa digs into her familys past, the more the veil between the living and the dead unravels. The spirit beneath the oak soon reveals its true identitysomeone Alyssa once knew, someone she unknowingly abandoned. To break the curse, Alyssa must confront buried memories, longforgotten guilt, and a supernatural force determined to claim her as its next offering. The battle becomes not only for her life, but for her soul.

Vanessa M. Chattmans signature styleatmospheric, emotionally charged, and rooted in psychological horrorshines throughout BENEATH THE OAK. Known for her ability to blend haunting imagery with human vulnerability, Chattman crafts a narrative that is both terrifying and profoundly intimate. Her exploration of grief, memory, and generational trauma elevates the novel beyond traditional horror, offering readers a story that is as thoughtprovoking as it is chilling.

With a growing body of acclaimed work spanning supernatural fiction, psychological thrillers, and cinematic screenplays, Vanessa M. Chattman continues to push the boundaries of the genre. BENEATH THE OAK stands as one of her most powerful works to datea haunting reminder that the past never truly stays buried, and some spirits refuse to be forgotten.

BENEATH THE OAK is now available through major retailers and online platforms. Readers seeking a gripping, atmospheric, and emotionally resonant supernatural horror experience will find themselves captivatedand hauntedby Vanessa M. Chattmans latest masterpiece.

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BENEATH THE OAK: A NOVEL by Vanessa M. Chattman | eBook | Barnes & Noble®

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BENEATH THE OAK eBook by Vanessa M. Chattman - EPUB | Rakuten Kobo United States

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Source :Author Vanessa M. Chattman

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