Elizabeth Spires

Now the Green Blade Rises

"Spires is a jewel of a poet, never self-conscious or self-indulgent."—Los Angeles Times

Opening with a powerful sequence of poems about her mother's death, Elizabeth Spires writes about the life-and-death matters of midlife: the separation of parent from child, the loss of family and friends, the evolving nature of our closest friendships. These poems find hope in the seasonal and spiritual moment when "the green blade rises."

"[Spires's] elegiac poems are the epitome of grace: polished, elegant, and timeless. Adept at form, she uses rhymes tenderly, almost longingly, as though she wishes she lived in a world where such balanced beauty wasn't so rare. Shades of Frost, reflections of Dickinson, even imitations of Poe place Spires in a solidly American tradition."—Booklist

"Spires is routinely compared to Elizabeth Bishop, and with good reason."—Washington Post Book World