Exploring the complexities of life after divorce, this book delves into the challenges of navigating middle age while raising a family in rural North. It reflects on themes of love, resilience, and personal growth, capturing the struggle to find meaning and connection amidst life's transitions. Through poignant storytelling, it offers insights into the emotional landscape of starting anew and the quest for fulfillment in a changing world.
New from a poet whose astonishing images, emotional honesty, and storytelling power holds a singular clarity of vision. An "American wake" is what the Irish call a farewell to those emigrating to the United States. A New England writer equally at home in Ireland, Kerrin McCadden explores family, death and grief, apologies, and all manner of departures in second full-length volume of poetry. In the collection's title poem, McCadden writes: When we are out to sea, we look back to see faces ringing the shore like a fence, those we love in up to their hips in waves, waving goodbye like mad. Included in American Wake are the compelling titles, "My Broken Family," "Weeks After My Brother Overdoses," "One Way to Apologize to a Daughter for Careless Words," "Portrait of the Family as a Definition," and "My Mother Talks to Her Son about Her Heart." This collection by a writer of extraordinary gifts will appeal to readers who believe in the potential of carefully hewn words to unveil our world and our deepest feelings to ourselves. As the acclaimed memoirist Nick Flynn (Another Bullshit Night in Suck City) puts it: "Kerrin McCadden transforms tragedy into myth."
As the 2018 Button Poetry Prize Winner, this collection showcases powerful and evocative poetry that explores themes of identity, resilience, and social justice. The author’s unique voice and vivid imagery captivate readers, drawing them into personal and collective experiences. Each poem is crafted with precision, inviting reflection on contemporary issues while celebrating the strength of the human spirit. This award-winning work is a testament to the transformative power of poetry in addressing both personal and societal challenges.
