A Beloved Fire Becomes the House

Raised by a mother who struggled with schizophrenia, a daughter uses academia as a means to start a new life. As truths are uncovered, the weight of contradictions shows a difficult path back: from trauma to forgiveness, family, and survival. Unflinching in its emotional honesty, A BELOVED FIRE BECOMES THE HOUSE is a fearless memoir told through contemporary and experimental haibun and haiku, in a rhythmic weaving of poetic forms.

A BELOVED FIRE BECOMES THE HOUSE is for anyone who believed they should not vocalize the details of their life because it might be upsetting to others. No person is a stigma. The range of the human condition should not be buried in silence. It is the silence itself that must burn.

FROM THE AUTHOR:
If you read my first three books ('Moon Full of Moons, Small Stones from the River, Stumbling Toward Happiness) you may have noticed a recurring theme of seeking happiness after loss. Why was I working so hard at happiness, ruminating across multiple books? A BELOVED FIRE BECOMES THE HOUSE is the story I’ve written “around” but never told, its iterations ranging from a full-length memoir to haiku collections, to a hybrid chapbook, all unpublished. Stories and phrases discovered within decades of diaries, letters, and early poems. Finally, arriving at this: a book of interwoven haibun and haiku that includes samples of my mother's poems. Her final crochetwork on the cover. This book has been in progress for as long as I can remember.

origin story
my cloud unfolds
in your lap

Available from Red Moon Press with signed copies are available from the author.

PRAISE FOR 'A BELOVED FIRE BECOMES THE HOUSE':

"Part memoir, part meditation on mental illness, forgiveness, and hope, this skillfully crafted collection grapples with complexities without forcing easy answers. The grace with which Lehmann handles her unique, difficult story makes this book an unforgettable treasure."
--Susan Antolin (editor, Acorn)

"Kat Lehmann is one of the most inventive practitioners of haiku and haibun writing today, and A BELOVED FIRE BECOMES THE HOUSE may be her most accomplished work yet. Blending memoir, haiku, and formal experimentation, Lehmann transforms the story of growing up with a mother struggling with mental illness into something both intimate and universal. With precision and compassion, she portrays a mother who is neither villain nor saint, but neglectful, loving, funny, and dangerous all at once, allowing these contradictions to coexist without diminishing any of them. Tender, innovative, and deeply humane, this is a book that demonstrates not only what haibun can do, but what poetry can do so powerfully."
—Timothy Green (editor, Rattle)

"In A BELOVED FIRE BECOMES THE HOUSE, Kat Lehmann extends her legacy of innovative approaches. She has constructed a family history in a series of interwoven haibun and haiku, with people, words, and phrases accruing context and impact with every step forward."
—JeFF Stumpo (author, 'these are the waterfalls in my head')

"Kat Lehmann has produced a brave and brutally honest masterpiece, dedicated to “anyone who believed they lived a normal life until they shared their story.” This is her story. Read it."
--Lew Watts (co-author, 'Haibun: A Writer's Guide')