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9781324086109

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Reviews

""Rachel Richardson’s Smother stares down death, wildfires, a pandemic, and never once flinches. In wanting to 'stand inside the fog . . . [a]nd then to become the fog,' Richardson’s enveloping, and defiant, voice rolls across these pages with authority. In a world on fire and dying of thirst, this book will revive you and make you want to believe in hope again."" -- Tomás Q. Morín, author of Machete ""These poems were made at the nexus where the difficult, often thankless, faith-heavy job of artist meets the difficult, often thankless, faith-heavy job of mother: Rachel Richardson, with full heart, soul, and mind, bears witness as the world—literally and figuratively—burns around her and her children. Without the luxury of nihilism, she resists looking away, makes hope from scratch, and sings. Smother is a guide, a dare, a prayer, and a miracle."" -- Carrie Fountain, author of I’m Not Missing ""How harrowing, how moving, how oddly comforting to read these casually masterful poems. No matter how great the fear, this poet finds the courage to make poetry within, and out of, the great perils of our time. Richardson keeps speaking, and breathing, in that necessary and singular record, poetry."" -- Matthew Zapruder, author of Story of a Poem and I Love Hearing Your Dreams

""Richardson’s Smother [is] not only bold in ambition… but also brilliant in execution, and stake[s] out dramatic new terrain for the American 'public poem.' Richardson exposes the intricate interrelation of ethical frameworks, revealing at the same time Smother’s sweep and sophistication."" -- Christopher Kempf - Los Angeles Review of Books ""Rachel Richardson’s Smother stares down death, wildfires, a pandemic, and never once flinches. In wanting to 'stand inside the fog . . . [a]nd then to become the fog,' Richardson’s enveloping, and defiant, voice rolls across these pages with authority. In a world on fire and dying of thirst, this book will revive you and make you want to believe in hope again."" -- Tomás Q. Morín, author of Machete ""These poems were made at the nexus where the difficult, often thankless, faith-heavy job of artist meets the difficult, often thankless, faith-heavy job of mother: Rachel Richardson, with full heart, soul, and mind, bears witness as the world—literally and figuratively—burns around her and her children. Without the luxury of nihilism, she resists looking away, makes hope from scratch, and sings. Smother is a guide, a dare, a prayer, and a miracle."" -- Carrie Fountain, author of I’m Not Missing ""How harrowing, how moving, how oddly comforting to read these casually masterful poems. No matter how great the fear, this poet finds the courage to make poetry within, and out of, the great perils of our time. Richardson keeps speaking, and breathing, in that necessary and singular record, poetry."" -- Matthew Zapruder, author of Story of a Poem and I Love Hearing Your Dreams ""To read Smother is … to be welcomed into a community of writers."" -- Blaise Zerega - Alta Journal ""Throughout the collection, fire, smoke and air flecked with ash become metaphors and characters as Richardson searches for resilience, defiance, and ultimately, hope."" -- Alexis Madrigal - KQED Forum ""Smother contends with… forms of grief and documents Richardson’s own struggle to find resilience in light of it."" -- Erin Wong - High Country News

Author Information

Rachel Richardson is the author of two other poetry collections, Copperhead and Hundred-Year Wave. She is the cofounder of Left Margin LIT and a winner of the Hopwood Award, as well as a former Stegner and NEA Fellow. She lives in Berkeley, California.

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