Life Revised

by Leah Stenson

New from CIRQUE PRESS Leah Stenson’s Life Revised, a memoir about suicide, is a compelling literary montage of poetry and narrative prose that examines the author’s reactions to the simultaneous loss of her grandparents–one by suicide, the other an unintended consequence of that suicide. In this unflinching and revealing exploration of personal tragedy, Stenson takes us beyond suffering to her ultimate healing through her Buddhist practice. In a world where suicide is relentlessly on the increase, the need for open, honest communication surrounding suicide and its aftermath has never been greater. Life Revised offers insight into resilience of the human spirit. “If we are to read poetry and prose together in words that speak directly to our spirit, let it be in the beautifully, heart embracing warmth and affection of the language of Life Revised. The complexity of Stenson’s work and clarity of language draws the reader into family dynamics, challenging us to bear witness to transcendence unfolding within and around us. Life Revised shows us how we can know ourselves, and through this discover healing of the heart and mind.” — Dr. Fanny Brewster, Jungian analyst and author of Archetypal Slavery’s Legacy of Intergenerational Child Loss “In prose reflections and poems that invoke the landscapes, rooms, sounds and atmospheres of the past, Life Revised maps a journey from anger’s unknowing to new understandings and the perspectives they afford. In this moving and courageous book, Leah Stenson becomes, as she affirms, the author of her own life.” — Lex Runciman, author of Salt Poems 1981-2016 “Breaking apart a life of struggle, perseverance, despair, and hope into brief fragments that must resonate individually while, combined, paint a robust human portrait is a monumental task. But Stenson does it, somehow, magically, with wisdom and honesty, exploring the many contradictions and paradoxes of relationships—both familial and societal. Her ability to probe the human condition with such elegant prose and heartfelt poetry is a treat that remains fresh and vital to the last page.” — John Sibley Williams, author of As One Fire Consumes Another and Skin Memory“Here is a modern woman boldly sharing her truth. Life Revised is both wise and compelling. Leah Stenson makes no attempt to disguise her troubles, mistakes, or regrets. Instead she shows us her winding path from trouble to understanding. Once I started following Stenson on her journey, I couldn’t stop reading.” — Penelope Scambly Schott, author of A is for Anne and Love Song for Dufur

125 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 11, 2020

Reviews

[Karol K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Half way through this short memoir I became distraught and could not read further. Emotions gripped me as I related to the love of a favorite grandmother and her passing. This book is about familial love, rejection, loss, and redemption. There are great lessons to be learned here. I fear, though, that few--myself included--would be able, like the author, to face such a close examination of their own lives. Again there are great lessons to be learned here.

[Monica Devine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life Revised combines prose and poetry to tell the story of the author’s tragic death of her grandparents, and how this event shaped the rest of her life. Through the writing of her loss, Stenson gains a better understanding of her family members, specifically her alcoholic mother who emotionally abused her for many years. Literature is a great healer, and Stenson uses the medium to make sense of the loss and grief that hauntingly followed her from childhood to adulthood.
It has taken a lifetime for the author to comes to terms with this heartbreaking fact: her beloved grandfather, Poppi, commits suicide via carbon monoxide poisoning in his garage, which inadvertently kills her sleeping grandmother as the poisoning bleeds into their home. She was very close to her maternal grandparents. “As the sun went down, I would lie in Noni’s big double bed between cool white sheets, watching the towering maples down the street sway in the evening breeze,” sharing with readers the love and beauty she felt in their presence. But the truth of their deaths was kept hidden from her until she read details of the story in a local newspaper. Deeply hurt and betrayed by her family’s actions, Stenson struggles to find meaning while negotiating major upheavals in her life going forward: the dissolution of her marriage, the arrival of breast cancer, a near-fatal accident her husband endures, and the loss of her Catholic faith.

The author contemplates the meaning to be found in both life and death. In “My Mother,” she chronicles different stages in her mother’s life. We learn of her own disappointments: her constant disapproval of her husband, how she mourned the loss of her beauty that faded with age. Perhaps her mother was responding in the only way she knew how from her own deep level of grief. She could be cruel at times. In one story we learn how her mother gathered all of Stenson's childhood offerings of affection—cards, drawings, and poems, and ripped them all to pieces.
Life Revised is a deep, sorrowful, and soulful body of work. Like any work of art, a person's life requires revision, sometimes many revisions. In the end, the author frames her sorrows within the construct of her Buddhist practice and ultimately finds relief and acceptance of her strained life. She learns: “If we can elevate our spiritual life condition, we can transform our external circumstances.”

A warmth of heart exudes from this collection, showing us that ultimately a person has agency in turning her life around, which this author illustrates beautifully

[Cheryl Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leah Stenson has written from her heart and shared a journey she has made for much of her life. She writes with clarity and soul how a childhood event shaped the rest of her life. The event was shrouded in mystery for her, one she struggled to understand. Her narrative of memories and reflections, interspersed with her poetry and photos/images allow the reader to accompany her on this journey and to contemplate the complexities of the human condition.

[Tom Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leah Stenson's memoir Life Revised (Cirque Press, 2020).describes in prose
and poetry her journey from anger and confusion to new perspectives. This is an
honest and compelling book. It challenges us to look at our own lives. Once I
started, it was hard to put it down.