Published! M, celebrating the heroic dimensions of women’s lives, my first poetry collection
Dear Good People,
My first collection of poetry, M, marks the heroic dimensions of women’s lives and was just released! 3:A Taos Press did a gorgeous job, as you can see above. Huge thanks to the designer, Lesley Cox, and the photographer of the cover image, Brooke Shaden.
After all the work and the torment of second-guessing every author feels, can you imagine my joy when a friend recently wrote:
The book is beyond beautiful…from the front cover to the last page it is a work of art. The content of the book is an elegant feast. I want to sample a taste of each poem, but I want to restrain myself and slowly enjoy one poem a day.
This writer always hopes her work hits a universal note and says to the reader: The outer aspects of our lives may differ, but your sorrows and my sorrows, your joys and my joys are woven into a single human tapestry. This is ever more evident as we can feel inside our own bodies the desperation and terror of Ukrainian parents, hear the testimony of families split apart and fleeing their country. For some of us, this is our ancestors’ story.
The poems in the middle section of M were written over a year ago and now seem prescient in their witnessing of women caught in war, but all the poems in the book emerged out of lived experience, empathy, and imagination.
One of my teachers once told me that the very first poets were the shamans of their tribe. They journeyed to other realms to retrieve lost souls and returned with healing songs for their people. I’m no shaman, but I like to think we poets are still translating healing songs. Poetry is a timeless space where reader and writer meet in silence to listen to the soul-truths that arise in stillness.
You can read “Mellie, United States 2020,” one of the poems from M on a page dedicated to M on my website. I also share there the wonderful advance testimonials from Murray Stein, Alice Friman, David Wojahn, and Kevin McIlvoy. I’m so humbled by their gracious comments.
Have I tempted you to open a book of poetry and discover something new? If so, please consider purchasing a copy of M. You can find it at these links.
Please share this information with others who might be interested, including your local independent bookstores. If you are moved to write a comment or review for Amazon, Goodreads, or literary journals, I welcome your words. I’m also available for podcasts, interviews, discussion groups. You can reach me via my Contact page.
I am delighted that I have been invited to read at several events over the next weeks, and I so hope one of these dates fits into your busy schedule. You can find a complete listing on my Events page. Here’s what’s coming up in the near future. Please note the differences in time zones. Some require you to register. For others, the Zoom link is on the event page.
Helene Wurlitzer Foundation Alumni Series
Sunday, March 27, 2022
3 PM Central Time/4 PM EST
Four readers: Dale Kushner; Rick Hilles; John Balaban; Leila Chatti
Zoom link on event page above
Katkus Open Mic Series
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
8 PM Central Time/ 9 PM EST
Featured reader with poet Leslie Ullman
Zoom event – registration required
Vermont College of Fine Arts/VCFA
Featured reader
Thursday, March 31, 2022
8 PM Central Time/9 PM EST
Zoom event – registration required
SOMOS/Zoom Society of the Muse of the Southwest
Sunday, April 3, 2022
5 PM Central Time/ 6 PM EST
Zoom link on event page above
Fondly, and with care,
Dale
