Connie Wanek – författare

For decades a restorer of old homes, Connie Wanek shows us that poetry is everywhere, encountered as easily in the waterways, landscapes, and winters of Minnesota, as in the old roofs and darkened drawers of a home long uninhabited. Rival Gardens includes more than thirty unpublished poems, along with poems selected from three previous books-all in Wanek’s unmistakable voice: plainspoken and elegant, unassuming and wise, observant and original. Many of her new poems focus on the garden, beginning with the Garden of Eden. A deep feeling for family and for the losses and gains of growing into maturity mark the tone of Rival Gardens, with Wanek always attending to the telling detail and the natural world.

In this captivating collection of poetry, celebrated poets Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek, along with illustrator Richard Jones, explore the wonders of nature in a spirited and magical way – and invite our imaginations out to play.This stunning gift-book contains thirty exquisite poems by celebrated US poets Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek, beautifully illustrated by artist Richard Jones. A freewheeling romp through the world of imagery and metaphor, this quietly startling collection is framed by the four elements and divided into thoughtfully-curated sections, exploring art and reality, fact and fancy. Look around: what do you see? A clown balancing a pie in a tree, or an empty nest perched on a leafless branch? This charming compendium of the fleeting and unexpected turns the everyday – towering trees and tiny tadpoles; roaring fires, lazy afternoons, and pillowy white marshmallows – into poetic gold. A brilliant and timeless collaboration that evokes both the mystery and grandeur of the natural world and the cosy, mundane moments of daily life, this wonderfully illustrated collection is the go-to gift book of the season for poetry fans of all ages.