The Secrets of Falling

by LaDonna Witmer

The Secrets of Falling is a collection of poems that chronicle a woman's fall from grace, her climb back up, and everyone she meets on the long way down. Written with equal parts razor and lipstick, this book includes poems that span nearly 10 years of falling and climbing and falling again.

Designed by artist Kathy Azada and featuring the photography of Patti Monaghen and Bruce Willems, Secrets is a different kind of poetry book - a book that tells a story not only with words, but with moods and with moments and shadows of hope.

Genres: Poetry

122 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2007

About the author

LaDonna Witmer is currently writing a memoir and has published four collections of poetry: New Hymns (2019), The Secrets of Falling (2007), a limited-edition chapbook, She is a Death Star (2007), and Shedding the Angel Skin (2000).

LaDonna was a Midwest transplant to San Francisco, that magnificent city of misfits. She lived in SF for 20 years, then moved across the Atlantic to Portugal in 2021.

She writes about the grey things that live at the edges of eyes and on the tips of tongues. You can find her most current writing here: The Long Scrawl. Her personal website (ladonnawitmer.com) showcases her collection of "cinepoetry" -- poetic cinematic shorts -- which have won awards and recognition at The San Francisco Women's Film Festival, The Poppy Jasper Film Festival, and The Berkeley Film & Video Festival.

To give her words form and faces, she has collaborated with artist Kathy Azada, photographers Patti Monaghen, Bruce Willems, and Robin Christman, as well as videographer Michelle M. Brown and designers Lexi Visco, Calvin Rocchio, and Mick Pavlik.

Reviews

[Elizabeth]

My sister-in-law gave me this book many months ago. Well, she is also the author. :-) I came home, it got put on a shelf, and I've been meaning to read it ever since. Last night I pulled it out and read it, from beginning to end (it's poetry) and highly enjoyed it. It's gritty, real, deep. It makes you think about the tenuousness of life and relationships. And that fragile hope that we have.

My favorite poem in this book was the one about the Trinity: Faith, Hope and Love. (My copy of the book seems to be reshelved so I don't have the actual name of the poem...there is some efficient librarian around here.)

[Sierra Annaliese]

This is the best collection of poetry I have read in a LONG time.

Raw, harshly honest, and beautifully written - this really tugs at all the heart strings. Can't wait for more from LaDonna Witmer, who is now currently my favorite poet.