Jim Daniels

Nature’s Olympics

Arts & Literature

“Janet Ruth Heller captures the brilliance of the natural world—much of which we take for granted—with her clear, sharp imagery and subtle nuance. She reminds us to pay attention from season to season and stop in wonder and awe to both appreciate the complex beauty we are surrounded by and to think about our human connections to those cycles and seasons. An excellent writer of haiku, Heller uses the characteristic juxtaposition and insight in all of these fine poems.”

Psalms of the Dining Room

Arts & Literature

“In Psalms of the Dining Room, Lauren Schmidt lays down riffs like a fierce blues guitarist, one who knows the power of each carefully chosen note. These poems explode with tough compassion. They sting a little bit--they make us flinch in recognition. Schmidt's sharply etched details tell the powerful stories of her characters' struggles to be seen, to be acknowledged as human. These poems remind us of how close we all are to each other, despite efforts at denial and distance, despite how violence can erode the human spirit. Her characters fight for dignity in the face of everything rigged to keep them down.”

Tart Honey

Arts & Literature

“Deborah Burnham's Tart Honey explores old love through the lens of long-earned authority, delving into temporary separations while anticipating more permanent ones. We trust her rich powers of description—the dense, lush imagery, the pulsing rhythms of life, the confident control while exploring something both fragile and durable. She looks back, looks forward, while carrying on in the moment. Her work is an inspiration to all of us. In the face of knowing it must all end, Burnham reminds us of the sustaining power of love.”