Here are the covers of the twenty-five books I reviewed for the first year of Sticks & Stones. As you can see, the covers make a lovely collage, and each one reveals something about the poems inside. Every one of these books was an adventure, a chance to delve deeply into a poet’s world, and an opportunity to marvel at the power of language.

I won’t lie to you; reviewing twenty-seven books of poetry (two for The Pedestal and twenty-five for Sticks & Stones) in one year was not an easy task. I was concerned that I might repeat myself, or that the twice-monthly schedule wouldn’t allow enough time between books to refresh my brain. But I need not have worried. In spite of familiar themes – family, aging, environment, nature, politics, love – each book was completely different from the others. 

The adventure continues in 2019. The newsletter will come out on the first Monday of every month, and I have twelve books in the queue that I’m looking forward to sharing with you. 

You can sign up for Sticks & Stones here.

Happy Holidays!