Dark Alphabet

by Jennifer Maier

In works whose subjects range from the religious to the carnal, the whimsical to the foreboding, Jennifer Maier’s debut collection of poems, Dark Alphabet, explores the everyday mysteries of our common experience with humor, lucidity, and an unblinking yet compassionate eye. Whether occasioned by a song overheard on the car radio, a packet of risqué postcards from the 1920's, a conversation with a dead parent, or the behavior of ducks in mating season, each poem sets off on a journey that ranges far from its origins, arriving with the reader in a clearing at dusk, in a place of wise good humor and somber grace.

Genres: Poetry

96 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 2006

Reviews

[MistyAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jennifer Maier, a fellow SPU professor, has written a lovely and tremendous first book of poetry. Her writing is rich, authentic, and honest, and her poems demonstrate a love of language and reverence for the sacred in the midst of daily life.

[Justine Dymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard Garrison Keillor reading one of Maier's poems on "The Writer's Almanac" and immediately fell in love with this writer's work. Tonight, when I finally got the collection, I dipped in and couldn't put it down. So far, every poem is surprising and satisfying.

[Patience Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am enjoying every poem in this book. I read one a day and when I am done will go back and re-read the whole book. She puts words together in a way which appeals to me at a very deep level.