The Bully, The Bullied, The Bystander, The Brave: An Exciting New Poetry Anthology Is Launched.

Rubicon Publishing, BMO Financial, and Scholastic Canada are behind this important initiative using the arts in support of the anti-bullying movement. The poems chosen present a variety of viewpoints, all with the goal of addressing this issue.

Oakville, Ontario (I-Newswire) February 7, 2013 - Rubicon Publishing Inc. is proud to announce the launch of The Bully, The Bullied, The Bystander, The Brave, a poetry anthology edited by David Booth and Larry Swartz, two award-winning, internationally renowned educators and authors. The anthology consists of 66 carefully selected poems that explore the different facets of bullying through the eyes of classic and contemporary poets such as Langston Hughes, Shel Silverstein, Jean Little, and Jay-Z.

Bullying has entered our awareness in a powerful way in recent years, due in part to high-profile cases of bullied children and young people. Many anti-bullying initiatives exist to try to address this dangerous social malady. We all know about bullies, and many of us know about being bullied; we have been there. And unfortunately, most of us have witnessed a bully in action. But why choose poems as a way of looking at this difficult issue?

According to the editors, David Booth and Larry Swartz, “Sometimes in a very few well-chosen words, a poet can help us see an event from a different viewpoint, or from a different angle, so that we understand more about everyone involved.

“Poets have a way of opening our feelings, of touching our hearts. Within moments, that little basket of words that we label a poem shows us a much larger picture of the effect unfair behaviours can have on everyone caught in the heat of those ugly moments.”

The official launch of The Bully, The Bullied, The Bystander, The Brave is scheduled for 21 February 2013 and will be sponsored by BMO Financial Group.

Through the combined efforts and financial support of BMO Financial Group and Scholastic Canada, 2500 copies of The Bully, The Bullied, The Bystander, The Brave will be distributed at no cost to middle schools in Canada to support the anti-bullying movement in education. Additional copies can be purchased through Scholastic Canada.