Richard Stoll Armstrong, whose poetry is widely read and frequently quoted, has teamed up again with artist Bil Canfield to produce their third collection of illustrated poems. Like its predecessors, Enough, Already! and Now, That’s a Miracle!, If I Do Say So Myself covers many topics in a variety of styles, all of which appeal to the ear as well as to the eye. Some of the poems in this volume are what the author calls take-offs from biblical texts, while others were inspired by his own experiences and observations of life. Three of the longer poems are grouped under the heading From My Distant Past. The impact of the poems is visually heightened by Bil Canfield’s sensitive drawings. Topics in this volume range from baseball to bumper stickers, from peer pressure to pollution, from labels to language games, from jogging to joking, from friendship to finger painting. Throughout them all the poet’s faith and philosophy, and often his humor, are evident, sometimes with a bite.

Richard Stoll Armstrong’s poetry reflects his remarkably varied background as a World War II Navy veteran, minor league baseball player, major league public relations director, advertising copy chief, radio broadcaster, television program director, development officer, teacher, coach, and pastor. The writer of many books and articles, and the current editor of a scholarly religious journal, he has preached and spoken throughout North America and abroad. He is now the Ashenfelter Professor of Ministry and Evangelism Emeritus at Princeton Theological Seminary.

In addition to being one of America’s foremost political cartoonists, William N. Bil Canfield is widely recognized as an exceptionally versatile and gifted artist.