$13.99
The Wind Unwinds explores family relationships, those of a daughter’s to her dead father but mainly to her elderly mother. Memories stir the poet’s imagination till the poems come, with expressions from tender intimacy to beleaguered irritation, or as the author writes at one point, “My smile/ fell off/ in December.” The clear imagery and strong rhythms in these poems will surprise and reward a reader.
–Shelley Reece, poet, and professor of English at Portland State University for 30 years. He chaired the Friends of William Stafford from 2005 to 2010.
At the center of Barbara Arzt’s moving collection is a series of poems about caring for her aging mother. These poems are tender-hearted and at the same time unflinchingly honest about the difficult emotions that come with such care. Of the disorientation both she and her mother feel, Arzt writes: “Wind, delirious, wraps the house / and turns it upside down. / Day is night and / night is day / and my mother sees devils / dance on the ceiling.” Both mother and daughter were professional dancers, and images of dancing appear throughout the book. More importantly, Arzt brings a dancer’s grace and lightness of touch to one’s of life’s most difficult chapters. The Wind Unwinds is a wise and generous book.
–John Brehm, author of Help Is on the Way
The Wind Unwinds
by Barbara Arzt
$13.99, paper
978-1-63534-895-8
2019
Barbara grew up in the Pacific Northwest. Her first memories are of clear streams, trillium, and tall fir. A career in dance took her far from these childhood images but her love for Oregon was never diminished. Barbara is a poet, and a calligrapher who also enjoys gardening, cooking, and choral singing. She lives in Portland in the village of Multnomah with her husband and mother of 97 years.
Sarah Burch (verified owner) –
This collection of poetry is a gift to anyone who has struggled within the nuanced relationships of their own family. It is a balm to anyone whose heart has been cracked or who is weary in the very human struggle of loving when it seems undeserved or impossible. I found myself alternately weeping and laughing through the pages, filled with gratitude for the honesty, humor, and generosity with which the author writes about her rich interior life, mining her own humanity and her own family story for a collection that is at once heartbreaking in its honesty, and hopeful in its relatability. I am deeply moved.
Christina Botterill (verified owner) –
Arzt uses brilliant imagery with a light and airy feel that nails the experience of caring for her elderly mother. At the same time she remains so human and vulnerable and keeps the poem dancing. What a deeply touching book.
Susan Nestor (verified owner) –
There were many moments while reading this book when I was stopped in my tracks by the power—both the sound and the meaning—of the author’s turn of a phrase. Written with an enormous amount of cut-to-the-bone honesty and vulnerability, yet not forsaking the complexity that is love and caring. Definitely starts a conversation for anyone who has an aging parent(s). An incredibly moving, enjoyable read. Where do I sign up for an advance copy of the next volume? Thank you.
Phyllis Solow –
Much appreciation for Barbara Arzt’s honesty and ability to be vulnerable about a subject many people experience but find difficult to put into words. The author’s courage to give voice to her feelings helps others like myself to process the waterfall of feelings that come with being a witness to a mother’s journey through growing old. The book is a beautiful gift. Thank you so much.