The Very Edge: Poems

by Polly Alice McCann (Editor), Samantha Malay

The Very Edge is an intense collection of urgent and inspiring poetry that brings together writers in English, Spanish, and French. Co-edited by Polly Alice McCann and Araceli Esparza, it celebrates thirty-six contemporary poets such as New York poet, Anne Whitehouse, and Kansas Poet Laureate, Huascar Medina. Let them take you on a journey across border towns and prairies to the top of the Swiss Alps; fly from the waters of the Amazon to Manhattan rooftops into an arid land where you can sit at the table and hear stories woven from the frayed edges of our hope. With art direction by designer, Kēvin Callahan, this book features several artists including the work of textile designer and photographer, Samantha Malay, and incredible meditative portraits by award-winning artist, Mano Sotelo.

Omar Bárcena, Jill Bronfman, Michelle Brooks, Tara Carnes, Kevin Callahan, Don Cellini, Paul Dresman, Alan Dunnett, Kristin Gallagher, Araceli Esparza, Malcolm Glass, Jeffrey Hantover, Eric Machan Howd, Donna Isaac, Vicci Jacobs, A. Kaiser, David Lohrey, Anthony Thomas Lombardi, Evamaria Lugo, Katharyn Howd Machan, Samantha Malay, Janet McMillan Rives, Huascar Medina, Cécile Oumhani, Eloísa Pérez-Lozano, Janet M. Powers, Bruce Pratt, Julie Sellers, Mary Silwance,Mano Sotelo, NOBODY the Poet, Joe Weintraub, Anne Whitehouse, Megan Wildhood, Guinotte Wise

150 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2020

About the author

POLLY ALICE MCCANN’s lyrical poetry paints a picture of the narratives of the internal heartland. That’s not surprising since she is also an artist. Her art and poetry have been published in US newspapers and magazines most recently in Rattle magazine. A professor of English, she is also the founder and manager of FLYING KETCHUP PRESS. She credits much of her creative work due to her research on dreams which won her the 2014 Ernest Hartmann award from Berkeley, CA. Find her first three poetry collections, Kinlight, Tea with Alice, and Puss ‘N Boötes online. Polly Alice has also edited two collections of short stories and two poetry anthologies. The most recent, “The Very Edge” is a collection of 37 international artists and poets. With her MFA in Writing from Hamline University in St. Paul, with an emphasis in poetry and short fiction, her poetry has published internationally in journals such as Naugatuck River, and arc24 in Tel Aviv and elsewhere. She says her favorite thing is to tell stories-- other people's, her own-- maybe yours.

In her first book of poetry, Kinlight, she uses narrative free verse to explore the measures taken as a woman to find a place to become visible: 'I will not forget,' she writes. 'I am woman, all things began in me.' Ghosts and vapors, flour and light, her first collection remain subtle in color, but dives into bone and marrow of women in today's America.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book of poems. I love the way they code switch without explaining. Also, the advice from Juan Felipe Herrera in the front is priceless. I recommend this book to poetry lovers.