No Matter Which Way You Look, There Is More To See: The Collected Poems of Kathie Giorgio

Like a mixed bag of candy, Kathie Giorgio’s poems come in all shapes and colors, some creamy, some crunchy, some sweet, some tart. When you reach in, you might get a prose poem, a villanelle, a haiku, or free verse. “On the Drive Home after School Lockdown,” Giorgio offers a dialogue with her daughter, who sees hiding under her desk from a possible mass shooter as not terribly unusual. Whether Giorgio is showing a woman who feels like a mother wherever she goes in the prose poem, “How Late were the Boys Out?”, or waxing nostalgic as she lists 12 poignant memories of Wonder Bread—“big brat brother-bounced edible spitballs”–or confessing how she feels about her breasts after cancer surgery, Giorgio’s poems grab your attention and don’t let go till you finish the whole bag.

–Sue Fagalde Lick, author of Gravel Road Ahead and The Widow at the Piano

In Kathie Giorgio’s stunning new collection, No Matter Which Way You Look, There Is More to See, we witness the full spectrum of life, with all of its beautiful and painfully challenging complexities.  Giorgio invites us to explore the human cave of vulnerability, and we feel less alone. There are also poems like, “Menu,” where Giorgio skillfully takes everyday moments and makes them dream-like before our eyes.  In another section, Giorgio takes us on a journey through the delights of love and earthly pleasures—poems as sumptuous as a gourmet feast.  There is also an artful dive into the world of words and creation, when giving voice to the writing process.  Giorgio tenderly shares thoughts about the fierce, protective, and unconditional love of motherhood.  This is a collection to be savored and admired for all of its heartbreakingly exquisite swerves and curves through life.

–Cristina M. R. Norcross, Founding Editor of Blue Heron Review, author of Beauty in the Broken Places and other titles

Spanning such topics as sexual assault, motherhood, and breast cancer, Kathie Giorgio‘s collected poems, No Matter Which Way You Look There is More to See, ushers you through the poet’s survival with just enough sass, wit, well-earned confidence, and furious intention to cause you to stand up and finally have something to say.

–Lisa Marie Brodsky, author of Motherlung and We Nod Our Dark Heads