Wordgathering

A Journal of Disability Poetry

Volume 5     Issue 3     September 2011

Book Reviews and Excerpts in this Issue

Wordgathering continues its efforts to provide reviews of important disability-related poetry that readers may not find in more prominant periodicals. First is Spark Before Dark by the late Laura Hershey, the final work of one of the pioneers of disability poetry. Poet Bobbi Lurie's third book Grief Suite navigates the emotional geography of many issues including the poet's son's autism and her mother's Alzheimer's. The third volume of poetry, Beauty is a Verb: The New Poetry of Disability, is reviewed by poet Marie Kane. As the first anthology of poetry dedicated entirely to the work of writers with disabilities since Towards Solomon's Mountain (1986), it is sure to prove an imporant contribution to disability literature. The final book reviewed is Christine Stark's debut novel about the devatating effects of the familial sexual abuse of children, Nickels: A Tale of Dissociation.

In addition to the book reviews this issue of Wordgathering contains excerpts from two books. One from Christine Stark's Nickels listed above, gives a taste of the writing style that makes this book so compeling. The other Notes of a Deaf Gay Poet 20 Years Later is Raymond Luczak's look at the changing climate for deaf gay Americans since the publication of his initial memoir, Assembly Required.

If some of these works excite you, as the editors think they will, ask your local bookstore to order them or request them on your Kindle.

Wordgathering does use book reviews from guest reviewers. In addition to Marie Kane's review in this issue, Wordgathering has been pleased in the past to publish reviews from Barbara Crooker and Tracey Koretsky in past issues. If you are a poet with a book (other than your own) that you are interested in reviewing, please contact us.

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