I’m honored by this attentive and rich review of my book by Victoria Emily Jones for her Art and Theology blog. Two little snippets:
“Another powerful poem in the collection is ‘Visit to Sarajevo,’ where Hicks describes visiting the Bosnian-Herzegovinan capital with her friend Dragan, who was forced to flee it as a young married adult with a child in the 1990s after the city was besieged by Serbian forces. Meeting up years later in Dragan’s hometown, Dragan leads Hicks through the once-familiar streets ‘in a haze of pride, nostalgia, nightmare,’ giving her a tour of sites both historically significant and deeply personal.”
“Although there’s a heaviness to much of the material, it’s not overwhelming, as small graces are woven throughout: complimentary walnuts from a fruit shop owner on a winter Sunday; laughter over language barriers; refreshment from a water hose; the scent of turmeric and cardamom at a Punjab store in Baltimore, reminders of the poet’s birthplace; . . . her son’s euphoria upon gliding down a mountain on skis; the slow labor of opening a pomegranate and obtaining its ruby-red seeds for her daughter to eat.
The book is shot through with joy—a joy that coexists with suffering and that is sustained through faith.”
Read the full review here.
Finally, enjoy a few pics from my October 11th book launch. It was a beautiful time!
(Photos by Tracey Brown of Papercamera Photography)
