title: An Imperfect Life: Poems and Drawings by Rosemary Okun (Volume 1)
author:  Rosemary Okun 
description: Born Rosemary Primont in 1928, the author grew up in a middle class neighborhood in Queens, New York City. She attended Catholic schools there until she was accepted into the prestigious Cooper Union College of Arts &amp; Sciences. Rosemary moved to Greenwich Village, where she also studied dance with Erick Hawkins. A brief marriage to a fellow student ended in divorce shortly after the birth of her first child, Jenny, in 1953. In 1958 Rosemary met and married Milt Okun, then a high school music teacher, who went on to become an award-winning arranger, producer, and music publisher. Milt adopted Jenny, after which Rosemary gave birth to their son, Andy, in 1962.  Residents of Greenwich Village until 1964, the family subsequently lived in England and France until they settled down in California in 1976, where they currently reside. Throughout her life, Rosemary has continued to write and create art, most of which has not been made public until now. Despite having traveled the world, she has never forgotten her roots and her loyalty to those who matter most in her life. Now Rosemary offers this legacy of one exceptional womans inner thoughts and feelings spanning two centuries. With these poems, the author leads us with quiet grace through the hills and valleys of what she refers to as an imperfect life.
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  [![image](../images/9780062947437_Cover.jpg)](9780062947437_Contents.xhtml#rcover)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [![image](../images/Title.jpg)](9780062947437_Contents.xhtml#rtitle)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## [Dedication](9780062947437_Contents.xhtml#rded)
  
  
  _To the Iraqis who work tenaciously and bravely to improve their_
  
  
  _homeland. May your sacrifices not be in vain_.
  
  
  _To the editors whose red pens and advice have made me a better writer_.
  
  
  _To Craig, my huckleberry friend. As two drifters off to see the world,_
  
  
  _you’ve been the best companion this gal ever hoped for_.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Contents
  
  
  
  
  
  [_Cover_](9780062947437_Cover.xhtml#cover)
  
  
  [_Title Page_](9780062947437_Titlepage.xhtml#title)
  
  
  [_Dedication_](9780062947437_Dedication.xhtml#ded)
  
  
  [_Author’s Note_](9780062947437_Note.xhtml#note)
  
  
  [Prologue](9780062947437_Prologue.xhtml#pr)
  
  
  [Chapter 1: Blessings of an Oldest Child](9780062947437_Chapter01.xhtml#ch1)
  
  
  [Chapter 2: A Chance for Freedom](9780062947437_Chapter02.xhtml#ch2)
  
  
  [Chapter 3: