New chapbook forthcoming

 

I'm pleased to announce that The Wild Parrots of Marigny, a chapbook of poems about New Orleans and Louisiana, has been selected for publication by Querencia Press. The poems cover a wide range of topics--Hurricane Katrina, the BP oil spill, Louisiana's disappearing coastline, the glory of Creole tomatoes, the state's sometimes breathtaking natural beauty, and more.

In the meantime, I invite you to read my chapbooks, Coronary Truth and The Last Time I Saw You.

Praise for Coronary Truth:

"All of the poems in this chapbook speak to and from the heart. But they are far from sentimental—instead, they affirm Dees' fine skills in poetic craft and observation, and her ability to reflect on life's frequently fragile mysteries."

"...these wise and moving poems will find a tributary to your mind and to your heart."

"We see all of life, beginning to end, through the eyes of a poet and the nature she interacts with."

"The blues without the blues. Magic without the melody. Poetry worthy of and necessary to our troubled times."

Review by poet and editor Randal Burd

Review by poet Sarah W. Bartlett

Praise for The Last Time I Saw You:

"A person’s life offers so many gifts, so much insight and influence, that the debt is difficult to repay. Diane Elayne Dees more than carries that load in her new collection, The Last Time I Saw You...."

"What’s really difficult to take is the realization that the last time you saw an old friend whom you haven’t hung with in a while—how quickly and finally that person passes from your life, with no repeat performance, no write-up, no review. Diane Elayne Dees owns that feeling in The Last Time I Saw You.

"The reader will quickly progress from politely attentive to thoroughly invested, as the poet’s skillful exploration of grief and recollection will give readers an unapologetically authentic and often relatable experience. I empathized with the speaker at every page turn and expect other readers will do the same. I wholeheartedly recommend this collection."