Tenants by Alicia Fisher

ACCOLADES:

“In language that pulls no punches, Alicia Fisher takes on a complex world where savagery can be found just under the surface. These poems talk back to grief, and more—they insist on compassion. If this poet is haunted by ruin, it’s because she cares deeply for each wounded soul, and refuses to let one fall uncounted. Brilliant language, stunning imagery, precise rhythms—Tenants introduces one sure-footed knock-out of a poet!”
–Betsy Sholl, Poet Laureate of Maine, 2005-2011

“Once in a while, and not very often, I come across a poetic voice, a way of saying and seeing things, a way of communicating image and story, emotion and intelligence, that cuts through to my soul, sings to me, and I want to share that news with everyone that I know. Alicia Fisher, a Maine poet, has hit me that way this year. I have only read her poems online, but soon Finishing Line Press will publish a first collection of her poems, and I look forward to holding that book. I keep going back to her blog, hoping that new poems will have appeared.
She says “It occurs to me that I am in fact nailing my poems in place, keeping them in time and space, keeping them occupied and bleeding.”

–Gary Lawless, poet and teacher

“Alicia Fisher’s unforgettable voice fearlessly engages the gritty, disturbing aspects of everyday life, this “horror show” filled with beauty and despair. The veil of illusion has been lifted, yet we come away feeling revitalized by her emotional force, wit, and humor. Each poem jolts the senses, placing us firmly into the scene it describes. In the hands of a less skillful poet, many of these scenes would feel merely gloomy, but the vigor of Fisher’s language reminds us why we move on.”

–Benjamin Bertram, Associate Professor of English at the University of Southern Maine

Rating: ***** [5 of 5 Stars!]