Dandelions and Defiance - Softcover

Viner, Chloe

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1635347807 ISBN 13: 9781635347807

Publisher: Finishing Line Press, 2018

About this title

About the Author:

Chloe Viner is the author of several books of poetry. Her first book, Naked Under an Umbrella was published by Finishing Line Press in 2011. Her second book, What the Rain Said Last Night, was published in 2015 by Future Cycle Press. Her Third book, 27 Apples, was published in 2016 by Finishing Line Press. This is her fourth book. Chloe received her Juris Doctor and Master's in Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School in 2012. Chloe works in the field of Restorative Justice as the Panel Manager at Franklin Grand Isle Restorative Justice Center. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, reading, writing, baking, and spending time with her rescued dogs, cat and flock of hens. Chloe and her husband Shane are excitedly awaiting the arrival of their twin boys, Armand and Julian by December 2018.

Review:

In this fourth collection, Chloe Viner once again invokes power by facing the very worst of human suffering without flinching or looking away. Like lasers, these 24 poems mostly focus on the violence and mental illness that has plagued her family, especially the grief of losing a beloved brother to schizophrenia. Viner is, in her words, a veteran of abuse, and while there is nothing glib or falsely optimistic here, there is beauty in her connection to animals--bees, whales, an injured hen--and in her unexpected imagery: wrangling her desire for death like a rancher wrangling cattle, finding nourishing ways to use the mismatched jigsaw puzzle pieces of her life. Finally, these are poems redeemed by courage and defiance. As she says, Viner died a thousand deaths just to speak these words. Anyone who has suffered will hear them with both empathy and profound respect.

Cait Johnson, Author of Earth, Water, Fire and Air

About this edition

• Publisher: Finishing Line Press
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1635347807
• ISBN 13: 9781635347807
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 34