traffic stop

by Janet Ruth Heller

Traffic Stop contains some of my best poems written from the 1970s to 2009. My poetry chapbook has various central themes: being an assertive nontraditional Jewish woman, having close relationships, teaching college English and women's studies, loving nature, traveling, being involved in the anti-Vietnam War movement, mourning my father's death, being an artist/entertainer/writer, and experiencing folk music at different stages of my life. The cover artwork is by Michigan artist Lori McElrath-Eslick.

Here are some comments about my book from poets Patricia Clark, who teaches creative writing at Grand Valley State University, and Judith Minty, who used to teach creative writing at Humboldt State University.

Enjoy these poems that tell rich tales of rebellion, budding sexuality, and academic life--all told with humor, wit, and grace.

--Patricia Clark, author of She Walks into the Sea, My Father on a Bicycle, and North of Wondering


Janet Heller’s Traffic Stop is not only an interesting but an abiding collection. Her poems are set in the rich history of what began as the Women’s Movement, which helped to give many women the positions and earnings they deserved. These pieces speak of what the author and other women stand for, how they have patiently worked toward equality; and it reminds us about what is often taken for granted today.

What I love most about these poems is their womanly strength. Heller’s words ring true and are not compromised. I have smiled, and even laughed, at times--at how straightforward these poems speak. At the same time, I feel the heart-ache of the struggle the poet depicts for women, how hard it has been to achieve some of the fairness that we have in this world today. Heller does an excellent job of combining these two facets in this collection.

--Judith Minty, author of Walking with the Bear, Dancing the Fault, Yellow Dog Journal, Lake Songs and Other Fears, In the Presence of Mothers, Counting the Losses, The Mad Painter Poems

31 pages, Paperback

First published August 3, 2011

About the author

Janet Ruth Heller teaches English and Womens Studies at Western Michigan University. She has a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. The University of Missouri Press published her scholarly book, Coleridge, Lamb, Hazlitt, and the Reader of Drama, in 1990. Her fiction picture book for children about bullying and self-esteem, How the Moon Regained Her Shape (Sylvan Dell, 2006) has won four national awards. Janet has also published 150 poems. She is President of the Michigan College English Association. "

Reviews

[University of Chicago Magazine]

Janet Ruth Heller, PhD'87
Author

From our pages (Sept–Oct/11): "Written over four decades, this poetry collection from Janet Ruth Heller—who won national awards for her 2006 children's book How the Moon Regained Her Shape (Sylvan Dell)—draws from her experiences during the anti-Vietnam War movement; as an entertainer, writer, and artists; and mourning her father's death."