Island

“Fewer than a dozen individual-poet haiku collections comprise what I’ve come to call my “desert island” books: works that I know would sustain and nurture me if, somehow, I had to forgo all others. Kristen Lindquist’s keenly observed and deeply evocative (plus presciently titled) first collection is now the latest addition to that select group.” —Scott Mason, author of The Wonder Code

“When Kristen Lindquist writes of ‘the loud clear song / of the fox sparrow,’ she might well be referring to herself scribbling a loud, clear love song to the islands of Maine. This collection is rich with imagery dug up as she ‘poke[s] through detritus left by the low tide.’ There is no cleverness, no artifice. Just the world as it presents itself to her, elevated to poetry through close observation, thoughtful juxtaposition, artful presentation, and touches of humor. No poet writing today has a keener eye. Take your time with these poems, and you will be greatly rewarded. As Lindquist reminds us, ‘some stories / take all day to tell / red-eyed vireo.’” —Carolyn Hall, author of butterflies under glass