The Woman in the Corner: Poems (Pitt Poetry Series) Paperback – Import, 30 September 2020

Brilliant book about growing up and growing older, how those two things don't always happen simultaneously, and the pains and joy of being alive. There are lyrics and narratives and lyrical narratives. Characters circle back into other poems. Mismatched stories share lines.In one of my favorite poems, Love Poem With Questions, the speaker and her husband finish the poem like this:I asked, "What is there in life besides longing?"He said, "What kind of question is that?"which is a pretty good answer.So much of the book is filled with the experience of a life lived--the difficulties of raising a stepdaughter, the difficulties of bathing an aged mother, breast cancer, petty exchanges with neighbors and strangers--but then something happens--middle-aged sex, a kind word, a polka between mother and daughter, the framing of a kid throwing eggs at your house as a good release--and the world suddenly glows and we're reminded of why we're alive: to love and be loved. Great poems, and highly recommended.