I first read Isobel Dixon’s gorgeous book of poetry, A Fold in the Map, on a long trans-continental flight headed for a bunch of book signings and author appearances of my own. I was sick with the chesty remnants of a rotten head cold and flying with my co-author, with whom I would be doing the appearances. Given my physical state, the flight could have been tortuous, but Isobel’s book of extraordinary poetry helped to make the long flight…well…fly by. My co-author and I kept passing the book back and forth with tears in our eyes saying things like, “Oh, read this one” and “Oh, my, you’ll like this.” Reading poetry is so often a solitary pleasure, but it was an extraordinary treat to share the experience of reading Isobel’s work in this way.

When I learned that I would be taking over editorship of r.kv.r.y. I knew that Isobel’s gorgeous and lyrical yet clear-eyed and unflinching poetry would be one of the first I would solicit. I am so pleased she allowed us to share them with all of you.

A sampling of Isobel’s other marvelous poems can be read here.

And I am eagerly awaiting her next collection, also published by Salt, titled The Tempest Prognosticator which will come out next year.