motherload

Suzanne finds her way in the dark, a dark without moon or stars or hint of horizon, and takes us with her, and she is not averse to holding our hand with strength. She finds her way in the light too, a light so sharp, intense, and glorious it can blind us long before we see. The poems are sensual, sinuous, sinewy, and spiritual. They bristle with life. Suzanne grows harsh thorn bushes of questions she will not forbid. Carves flesh out of rock, sculpts eternity from waterfalls of hurt and confusion, walks out epiphanies and enlightenments grounded in finches, arguments with her mother, tattoo sessions, and driving past white crosses on American highways. Nothing is trivial, nothing so opaque it cannot be explored. If there is struggle and loss here, there is also a discovery of beauty and a serious investment in joy. Suzanne is one of the finest, most honest, most lyrical, and most compassionate writers in America today. This book of her poetry serves as a powerful and beautiful introduction to her journey. Readers will quickly find their own journey here as well. Lovers of words and what they conjure will return to dip into this volume over and over again. review by Murray Pura