UNKNOWN

A midwife writes birth haiku on each beginning

In this quietly powerful collection, midwife Janelle Alier captures the fleeting, transformative moments of birth through the elegance of haiku. Written in reflection after attending more than one hundred births, these seventeen-syllable poems offer a powerful record of beginnings.

This book is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and by a generous award from the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of The Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina.

Janelle Alier is a dedicated Certified Nurse Midwife, with a deep commitment to supporting women through all stages of pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and beyond. Originally from the Midwest, Janelle has lived and worked in the Greenville, South Carolina area for more than twenty years. She believes in the importance of informed choices and partners with expectant parents, encouraging them to make their own best decisions for health and well-being.Graduating from Philadelphia University with a Master's degree in midwifery, Janelle has honed her skills in both home and hospital settings. She tailors her approach to meet each family's unique needs, offering guidance, emotional support, and clinical expertise throughout the journey. Most recently, Janelle opened her own practice in 2019, Paris Mountain Midwifery, named after a beautiful local landmark, where she resides with her family.

Kimberly holds a BFA in Printmaking from the Hartford Art School and an MFA in Book Arts from the University of Iowa, Center for the Book. She's lived many places, including New England, Western North Carolina, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Iowa City, Iowa. Each place bringing inspiration through their varying landscapes and the plants that grow there. The work she creates originates from her sketchbook and her passion for drawing plein air. Rarely seen without a sketchbook and pencil in hand, she does her best to capture the beauty of the overlooked landscapes and wildflowers. Kimberly considers herself a hobbyist botanist, fostering a love for wildflowers and weeds since she was a young girl. Botanicals continue to be a strong theme throughout her work.