Fearless and direct, tender and loving – the marriage of these forces is electric. In Joetry, Mendelson Joe fixes his gaze on the beauty in people, nature, work, love, deeds, words, and accountability – the often unheralded, everyday stuff of life. He is casting a wide net, trying to reach us all, telling us clearly: appreciate what is good and beautiful, do the right things, stop doing the wrong things, laugh, create, speak up, sing, love, and respect the earth and one another. Oh, one more thing: revere women – they are our best hope for the future of life on the planet. – Gwen Swick, from the foreword to Joetry.