The Red Dress: Poetry

by Mary Ann Mulhern

Mary Ann Mulhern spent eight years in a convent. She entered a few years after teachers' college. As a young teacher, she enjoyed wearing rich colours, especially red. When she returned to teaching in Windsor, Ontario, wearing a religious habit, children often asked if she could wear colour, "just for one day?" This became the basis for this all-revealing book about the life of a single woman who enters the convent and watches her life become transformed by the strict rules of the church and her religious order. In these revealing poems, Mulhern tackles the delicate realities of a woman becoming aware of her sexuality. She talks both about the decision to become a nun, the first days in the convent -- wearing Victorian undergarments, covering her hair, and the shame of one's own burgeoning sexuality -- as well as the moment she decides to put that life aside. The poems are strong, incisive and bittersweet in their presentation.

Genres: Poetry

97 pages, Paperback

First published September 6, 2003

About the author

Mary Ann Mulhern is a teacher who began writing poetry in 2001 during a summer writing seminar at the University of Windsor, conducted by John B. Lee.

In September of 2001, she won first prize in the Freedom Festival Poetry Contest, with her poem about Harriet Tubman , entitled, Freedom's Rail.

Marty Gervais, publisher of Black Moss Press, noticed her success and began a mentoring program that October. Since she had been in a convent for eight years
in the sixties, Gervais asked her to write about her experiences during those years.

From this came her first book of narrative poetry, The Red Dress, Black Moss Press, 2003. The Red Dress received national attention through an interview on Tapestry, CBC radio, with host, Mary Hynes.

Another life-experience which she was encouraged to write about was growing up in a "cemetery house," located at the edge of a cemetery in St. Thomas, Ontario, where her father, Patrick, was grave-digger and caretaker. This resulted in Touch the Dead, Black Moss Press, 2006. Touch the Dead was short-listed for the Acorn-Plantos Award, 2007.

Mulhern was asked by Marty Gervais to research and write about the Father Charles Sylvester priest sexual-abuse case which was successfully prosecuted by crown attorney, Paul Bailey at the Chatham Court House.

The book, When Angels Weep, was launched April 8, 2008 at the University of Windsor, with over four hundred people in attendance.

When Angels Weep was short-listed for the Acorn-Plantos Award, 2009.

Mary Ann Mulhern's latest book is: Sleeping with Satan, Salem Witch-hunt, 1692.

Sleeping with Satan was launched November 4, 2010.

Reviews

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book! I have met the author and she is sweet and her poetry has soul and real meaning! Very good little collection here and worth reading!!! It isn't like normal Canadian poetry usually is which is often pretentious !

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this is the kind of poetry I like...the kind that evokes some feeling, the kind that puts you inside the person writing it.