Days of Grace and Silence Book Launch on April 12 & More
I have exciting news to share! Days of Grace and Silence is here, just in time for National Poetry Month! Read on for info about my April 12 book launch and other upcoming events, the first review, and more!
April 12 Book Release Celebration for Days of Grace and Silence
The book launch celebration for Days of Grace and Silence: A Chronicle of COVID's Long Haul is on Friday, April 12. Please join us at Art House Productions for a reading, followed by a discussion led by Jayne Freeman, with a book signing and reception.
Days of Grace & Silence Book Release
Friday, April 12, 6:30-8:30pm
Art House Productions
345 Marin Boulevard
Jersey City, NJ
Event details and RSVP here
Admission is free & open to the public
Books will be available for purchase
Where to Buy the Book
Days of Grace and Silence will be available for purchase at all in-person events. It is also available from Kelsay Books and on Amazon. Or you can order a signed copy directly from me ($23, includes postage).
Press Coverage
The first review of Days of Grace and Silence, for Mom Egg Review, is in. Reviewer Christina Kelly writes:
This quietly searing collection of poems by Ann E. Wallace documents the confusion, pain and terror of the Covid pandemic, beginning when she first became severely ill in March 2020. Wallace, the 2023-24 Poet Laureate of Jersey City and Professor of English at New Jersey City University, has written an at times daily account of the three years that she and her two teenage daughters fought long COVID. In a clear and unpretentious style, she shares the struggle of recovering while also caring for suffering daughters, whose coughs are constant and dry. (Continue reading here)
Days of Grace and Silence is featured alongside some other incredible collections in "From Vision to Verse: Celebrating Graduate Center Poetry Books This Poetry Month," from my doctoral alma mater, The CUNY Graduate Center.
The WildStory's First Live Event on April 10
In celebration of National Poetry Month and Earth Day, come for an evening of poetry and rich conversation that will highlight Leaning Toward Light: Poems for Gardens & the Hands That Tend Them, a new anthology of rich contemporary gardening poems edited by acclaimed writer and poetry critic Tess Taylor. The collection features work by contemporary luminaries Ross Gay, Ada Limón, Jericho Brown, Robert Hass, Mark Doty, Jane Hirshfield, and more.
I am honored to join Tess Taylor--herself a celebrated poet, the poetry columnist for CNN, and a lifelong gardener--in conversation and to read nature-inspired selections from Days of Grace and Silence, fueled as I was by watching the birds and plants outside my window during my long illness.The program will also feature practical tips from native plant expert Dr. Randi Eckel in a highly anticipated, first live Q & A session of Ask Randi. A reception and book signing will follow.
Leaning Toward Light: A Celebration of Poetry & Native Plants
Wednesday, April 10, 7-9pm
Museum of Early Trades & Crafts Education Annex
23 Main Street
Madison, NJ
Event details and RSVP here
Admission is free but space is limited, so be sure to RSVP
Event sponsors: The WildStory, The Native Plant Society of New Jersey, The Nature of Reading Bookshop, The Museum of Early Trades & Crafts, and Montclair State University
Upcoming Events
APRIL 21: Poetry Reading
City Lights Bookstore
Sylva, North Carolina
I will be reading on April 21, at 2pm, in conversation with Thomas E. Frank.
Event details here
JUNE 26: Stockbridge Library Poetry
Sparks in the Dark with Ann E. Wallace
A lunchtime poetry reading and interview held on Zoom, at 12:30pm, hosted by Stockbridge Library, Museum and Archives (Stockbridge, MA).
Event details forthcoming here
JULY 2: Authors' Hour Reading
Friends of Chautauqua Writers' Center
Chautauqua Institution, Chautauqua, NY
A lunchtime poetry reading held at 12:15pm on the porch of the Literary Arts Center at Alumni Hall.
Event details forthcoming here
Stay tuned for information on other events!
Available for Readings, Talks, Book Clubs & More
Do you have a podcast, organization, school group, or book club that features poetry or memoir? Or is interested in hearing from a Long COVID survivor? I am available for readings, workshops, book club discussions, talks, interviews, and more--online or in person. I would love to participate in your next event. Contact me here.
The HerStory Oratory Play: A Celebration of Resilience
Before I sign off, I include image from The HerStory Oratory Play, presented last night by Jersey City Council President Joyce E. Watterman and Art House Productions. This Women's History Month production honored the strength, resilience, and achievements of women in our community.remarkable stories of triumph in celebration of Women's History Month.
It was a pleasure to work with Meredith Burns in shaping the stories of local women for the stage, to see the stories brought to life by professional actors under her skilled direction, and to share my own story from the early days of the pandemic. "And Breathe," performed last night by Betsy Aiello Sanders, is an edited version of my memoir piece of the same name included in The Long COVID Reader (ed Mary Ladd).
Happy spring, my friends!
Ann
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