Poetry. In poetry that is formal in traditional and contemporary ways, Swift closely examines a case of neonaticide--the killing of an infant, usually by its mother, soon after birth. This social problem, though not common, may be on the rise in the U.S., according to medical and crime reports. Swift's poetry approaches her subject with deep sympathy and empathy, but does not gloss over chilling details, forging a tension between the "real" event and her highly-crafted poetic imaging.
Author City: EDMONDS, WA USA
Joan Swift studied poetry in the last class taught by Theodore Roethke. Publishing in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and The Yale Review, she has authored four full-length collections including THE TIGER IRIS and INTRICATE MOVES: POEMS ABOUT RAPE. She has been awarded three National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships.
Reviews and Other Links
author site
Ron Slate @ On the Seawall