Moonflower

by Gianna Russo

A gifted poet with a strong voice, Gianna Russo seamlessly moves this mature collection of poems out of self-absorption into a expanded world view through excellent pacing and control of tone. Russo is a master of the unexpected yet perfect turnaround, always taking readers a step beyond where they expect to go. "MOONFLOWER is a book of loss, and of resilience and recovery, from depression, divorce, children leaving home, a mother's death. The moonflower blooms at night, and so do these poems, with an uncanny and luminous glow." -Dorianne Laux, author of "Facts About the Moon"

Genres: Poetry

108 pages, Paperback

First published February 14, 2011

About the author

Gianna Russo is the author of the forthcoming poetry collections, One House Down (Madville Publishing, 2019); Moonflower, winner of a Florida Book Award; and two chapbooks, Blue Slumber and The Companion of Joy. She is founding editor of YellowJacket Press, Florida’s premiere publisher of poetry chapbook manuscripts. She has published poems in Green Mountains Review, Negative Capability, Crab Orchard Review, Apalachee Review, The Sun, Poet Lore, saw palm, The MacGuffin, Florida Review, Tampa Review, Ekphrasis, Florida Humanities Council Forum, Karamu, The Bloomsbury Review, and Calyx, among others. She was named Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay Local Poet in 2017. She holds an MFA in Poetry from The University of Tampa and is Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing at Saint Leo University, where she teaches in both the undergraduate and graduate programs and serves as editor-in-chief of Sandhill Review and director of the Sandhill Writers Retreat.

Reviews

[Thing Two · Rating 5 out of 5]

These poems are so darned good! I don't generally review the poetry books I ingest, but this one is simply exceptional! I might even have to buy a copy - and pay full price! - oh, my. I never do that.

Thank you Gianna Russo for the gift of your marvelous words.

[Amanda Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful collection of motherhood, grief, and Tampa Bay.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Splendid and full of longings, she has such a strong voice.