Overview

Loss. Uncertainty. Anxiety. Depression. Rage. Hope. These poems tell a story, one which many will be familiar with, especially those who have been marginalized within late-stage capitalistic systems not built for them. Ageism, sexism, ableism, discrimination and socioeconomic instability set the tone, while nature, family, friendship and love provide subtle encouragement, those hints of beauty and possibility necessary to surviving crises. Whether it's the workplace, an unstable housing market, institutions or overall society, Gotthardt's poetry explores themes of injustice, lack of compassion, inequity and discrimination by artfully weaving imagery, narrative and metaphor. And while the book is not meant to be interpreted as memoir, it does represent a period of the author's life, one during which optimism was scarce, and every moment presented one more seemingly impossible obstacle. Readers move with Gotthardt through panic and inner struggle to a mental and physical place of greater tranquility and reckoning in an inspiring depiction of tenacity and strength. From the depths of despair and hopelessness, to a place where peace and acceptance are accessible and tangible, these poems demonstrate why Gotthardt has earned the title ""award-winning author."" More importantly, they are a courageous statement of what is needed to change the world - for the better.

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Reviews

""Transcendent in its exploration of human transformation, Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt's The World Has Changed from When I Last Was Here is a resonant journey from hopelessness and panic to tranquility and reckoning. We are invited to become what the speaker becomes, unraveling and reconciling pain, turmoil, doubt, and change amid vivid natural imagery. Nature becomes the medium in Gotthardt's work-a collection that brings to life the deeply human experiences nestled within the world around us. This work not only resonates but, as the title implies, changes the reader as well. And you will be all the better for it."" -Caiti Quatmann, Editor-in-Chief of HNDL Magazine & Author of 'Yoke' (MyrtleHaus) ""Gotthardt opens this collection with a bang and never lets up, peeling back our layers on page one, not to reveal our vulnerabilities, but to let us know we are not alone. These poems are deep, sensitive and thoughtful, offering us a sense of hope. But they also have an edge, issuing a warning that though we may be vulnerable, do not mistake us for weak."" -Amanda V. Judd, Award-Winning Poet & Author ""Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt is truly masterful .... This collection feels like an intimate journey through the stages of grief, where each poem takes the reader deeper into the heart of loss, pain, and reflection. What is most striking is how Gotthardt leads us through those stages, arriving finally at a place of acceptance and, ultimately, peace. It is a moving and thought-provoking experience that resonates long after the last page is turned."" -Liletta Harlem, Award-Winning Author, Publisher & Speaker

Author Information

Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt, M.Ed., is a Gen X poet of Lebanese and Sicilian descent and a former adult educator serving traditional and incarcerated students. A first-generation college graduate with disabilities, she is the author of 12 other books, including a Silver Award winner from Nonfiction Authors Association, an Amazon bestseller and a Library of Virginia 2024 Literary Awards nominated collection. Since the early 1990s, Katherine's work has appeared in Yankee magazine, Frogpond, Haight Ashbury Literary Journal, Miracle Monocle's anthology You Blew It, Southern Quill, BigCityLit, Haiku Canada, Panoply, Portrait of New England, ONE ART, Poem Alone and dozens of others. She has won poetry awards from Poetry Society of Virginia, Virginia Writers Club, Loudoun County Library Foundation, Prince William County Poet Laureate Circle, Prince William County Arts Council and various publications. Her poem ""Now Entering Manassas"" was included in a time capsule as part of the City of Manassas, Virginia's 150th anniversary celebration. Katherine lives in central Virginia with her husband and their rescue pets. When she is not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grown children, exploring nature and discovering new places in her community. Learn more about her at KatherineGotthardt.com.

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