The Moon Is Always Whole

by Julia Baker Swann

Through lyric images, The Moon is Always Whole invites readers into the body’s rhythms of creation, love, and loss—affirming that even as we see only in part, "the moon is always whole" within and beyond chronic illness, ancestral trauma, silencing, betrayal.

"Julia Baker Swann’s evocative poems invite us to dance with the elements of earth and the universe, to celebrate our complicated layers and our burning core, and to enter with her into the illuminations of both intimacy and vastness, poems that offer 'this miraculous carried by bodies' that call us to 'hold fast to the circle within.' —Jean Janzen, Author, What the Body Knows

"In this theopoetic adventure of body and soul, Julia Baker Swann believes a body knows and a poem knows much in a field of clover beyond belief." —Scott Holland, Slabaugh Professor of Theology & Culture at Bethany Theological Seminary

"This is a marvelous book of grace, praise, wonder, and joy. This is a rare talent in tune with the world." —Lee Herrick, Author, Scar and Flower (2019) and Gardening Secrets of the Dead (2012)

Genres: Poetry

138 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2020

Reviews

[Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

First a disclaimer. I have not met this poet, but her sister is a friend.
This is a complex collection of expressive poems. There is a lot action here, as well as an acute awareness of the creation. The poet has a keen sense of observation and knows how to use language to communicate her impressions. These are elegant poems of contemplation and celebration. This collection of poems will seem new and refreshing each time you read it.

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many beautiful poems!