Description
Poetry. "The poems in Linda Aldrich's new book BALLAST are stunning and vital. Like the cardinal's color she describes as pulsing in the darkness, these poems acknowledge the dark, but stand bright against all that would break us. Aldrich is beautifully agile with form, whether that form is traditional or wildly inventive, as in her crown of sonnets coupled with their own erasures. These poems bring us heartbreak and longing, but also sly humor and levity, a bench that flies, books with lives of their own, buttons tossed into the toll basket instead of coins. Another pleasure of this book is an astute and surprising exploration of history, from Puritan New England to 1980s San Francisco, as well as the poet's own quirky and moving family stories. The language and feeling here are rich and sure, doing the crucial work of imagination, that is, creating a ground for attention and empathy, the embrace of our shared humanity."—Betsy Sholl
Author Bio
Linda Aldrich currently serves as Portland, Maine's sixth Poet Laureate and has published two previous collections of poetry, Foothold (2008) and March and Mad Women (2012). She received an MFA from Vermont College and has been published in numerous journals and anthologies. She was recently awarded a Hewnoaks residency fellowship. Her poem "Woman without Arms" won the Emily Dickinson Award from Universities West Press. Before becoming a poet, Linda was the director of the Young Conservatory and a member of the repertory at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, and later was Associate Professor of English and Humanities at Aims Community College in Greeley, Colorado. More recently, Linda has taught English and writing classes at Keene State College and Southern Maine Community College. As Portland's Poet Laureate, Linda founded the Leaf of Voices reading series at the Portland Public Library and has given readings and writing workshops around the state. She also co-hosts the Local Buzz reading series at the Thomas Memorial Library in Cape Elizabeth.
Author City: SCHENECTADY, NY USA