The Ravages of Longing for Posterity Time is either invested or spent . . . a review of a new novel, LEARNT
Dec 19

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By Janet Grace Riehl
Sightlines: A Poet\'s Diary
A beautiful collection filled with 90 poems, 190 pages, 25 photos and tribute to a loved family.

Sightlines offers a frank portrait of a family not only coming to terms with its grief, but also celebrating its past and difficult present. Although deeply personal, these poems strike poignant and universal chords. They offer a vision of life filled with little treasures that carry us back to what is truly important in our lives.

As the author of this book, I want to share some of the creative process behind writing Sightlines. The book evolved over a year, following a secluded retreat, in response to my sister’s death in a car accident.

During this time, I came to a strong sense that the world is charged with meaning, and that is a poem. The only trick is to tease out the meaning. That is what I proceeded to do as I moved back and forth between my Midwest home to my Northern California home.

Putting together this poet’s diary was a little like assembling a 1,000 piece puzzle. Mortality became keenly real to me as my parents and I aged together. The sorrow of life’s fragility, and joy at its tenderness, form the sightlines of all five sections in this collection of 90 poems as I examine and share the people and places of my life.

About the Author
Following a family tragedy, Janet Grace Riehl returned to her childhood home in the Midwest. There, through her craft, she discovered a new sense of connection reuniting her, and the reader, with life.

Janet Grace Riehl is an award-winning author, artist, performer, Janet Grace Riehland creativity coach. Her poems, stories, and essays have been widely published in national literary magazines such as Harvard Review and the newly-released anthology Stories to Live By: Wisdom to Help You Make the Most of Every Day. Her life moves between two great bodies of water-the Mississippi River in Southwestern Illinois and Clear Lake in Northern California. Feel free to contact her by email.

Buy Janet’s book at Amazon

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