A Thin Time

A book of poems and prose about learning to live with death through the power of language and community.

“In Mexico, Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead is a notable event. Families gather and go to the cemetery to tend to the graves of loved ones. They bring special foods and sing traditional songs. The tone is respectful and joyful. This is the reflection that led me to invite a group of friends who write poetry to come to my home one Sunday afternoon and honor those they have loved and lost. What took place that day gave birth not only to a yearly tradition but also to a new family. These were all individuals who understood the power of the word, but by coming together we all learned a new respect for the way language can transform our lives. . . .

We meet each year on the first Sunday in November. We represent three states and seven professions. Some of us write professionally while others write as an unavoidable expression of our inner processes. It is an unpretentious, but stimulating mix . . . . There is a deep common current and recurring rhythm that runs though the readings, usually surprising to us all. . . . We are constantly amazed at the transforming power of words.

This book is a compilation of the poetry and prose that we have shared over the years. We believe that the spirit of our sharing and the written result of it will be of interest to others, and help others deal, as we have, with the reality of death.”—from the Introduction by Joan Weddle