Click Here to Read: In the Act of Living: Hermione Lee, in her new biography of Tom Stoppard, has given shape to his quest for meaning, consciousness, history, and goodness by Andrew O’Hagan in the New York Review of Books in the April 29, 2021 issue.

No photo here this time, because we’re not celebrating just one poet, but all poets everywhere, throughout history.  This is National Poetry Month here in the United States, where people have become newly aware of and grateful for poetry during our Corona-virus (hate even saying the word) lockdowns.
Reports are that, among the book-buying public, poetry sales are up, which is such good news.  Poetry, as readers of this column surely know, heals the soul.  It’s the best medicine we can get for the ailing souls we have right now.
Although I usually don’t recommend specific poets in April but rather give you the usual exhortation to search out poems – on your own shelves, in libraries and bookstores, this time I will.
So many people responded to the beautiful poem by the young Amanda Gorman, “The Hill We Climb,” that she read at Joe Biden’s Inaugural ceremony it was as if they had never heard a poem before. Continue reading POETRY MONDAY: April 5, 2021

Click here to Purchase: Green Dialogue: Poems by Irene Willis. from IPBooks.net

Irene Willis’ new poetry book is getting me through To the editor: Although I’ve rarely been a poetry reader, over this past year I found myself turning to poetry often, like so many others, to find some comfort, solace and humor while we traveled along this lonely pandemic journey.
I recently discovered a real treasure in Irene Willis’ new poetry book “Green Dialogue,” chock-full of personal thoughts, memories, reflections, regrets and humor from childhood right through the journey of a long and fulfilling life.
Written with such honesty and openness, when reading it one feels the losses, joys and ironies as Irene so craftily captures thoughts, emotions and events in her poems. A real delight.
Kathleen Cleary, Lenox