N E W   R E L E A S E :  N O W   A VA I L A B L E

G L O S S
by  Ida Stewart

Winner of the 2011 Perugia Press Prize
for a first or second book of poetry by a woman

 
LIKE the Appalachian mountain setting from which Gloss arises, the language in this collection is in flux, full of paradox and thresholds, each word and line a peak or a range. The poems create a kind of “landguage” or “langscape.” Indeed, the poems (mis)behave like little ecosystems, in which word-play, rhyme, and enjambment simultaneously make and break sense, join and repel—evoking the tensions between progress and resistance. Embedded among the strata of Gloss is loss: many poems respond to mountaintop removal coal mining, which is literally flattening the rich complexity of the Appalachian landscape and culture. The poems consider the delicate relationship between humans and nature, lover and beloved, as well as the natural complexity of communication and utterance, the struggle to say the unsayable.
 
Read a sample poem and order the book now.
 
 
"Few poets combine such a musical ear with such transfixing insights and associations.
Gloss is a brilliant and endlessly resonant first book."   —Terrance Hayes


IDA STEWART holds an MFA in creative writing from Ohio State University and is currently pursuing a PhD in creative writing at The University of Georgia. She’s a co-editor of Unsplendid and has also served as an editorial assistant at The Georgia Review. A native of West Virginia, she currently lives in Athens, Georgia.

 
MORE PERUGIA OFFERINGS

Perugia Press Prize
for a First or Second Book by a Woman

Prize: $1000 and publication
Entry must be postmarked between August 1 and November 15, 2011.

 


Pulling It All Together:   
Preparing Your Poetry Manuscript for Publication
 
Personal Manuscript Reviews by Perugia Press Editor Susan Kan. 

“Thank you so much for your wise and penetrating critique. It’s the most helpful analysis I’ve ever had. I’ll be pondering it and looking at the poems and the ordering of poems with a fresh eye. I am extremely grateful for your insights.”  — Ruth Thompson

Perugia Press  PO Box 60364  Florence, MA  01062