Inscribed by author: For Ashley - "sister in words and dreams- blessings, always, and mercy November 1, 1999" also signed on title page

This collection of poems is striking in its powerful representation of humanity and its dramatic use of language. Anne Caston explores the inner recesses of the human mind and body, delving into the murky shadows where individuals fear to tread. The poems consider the nature of death, love, brutality, friendship, and much more. Caston plays with different points of view and keeps readers on their toes. The physicality of these moving and disturbing poems is sure to captivate lovers of poetry.

Biography
I am an Associate Professor of Creative Writing/Poetry and teach in the Low-Residency MFA Program in Creative Writing at the University of Alaska Anchorage. I currently have two collections of poetry in print: Flying Out With The Wounded (New York University Press, 1997) and Judah's Lion (Toad Hall Press, 2009, second edition). My third collection, Prodigal, is forthcoming early in 2014 from Aldrich Press.

My writing often pulls from my experiences as a former nurse, as a mother of four, and as a Southern woman who was raised among Southern Baptists. The latter is especially true in a memoir I'm currently working on: Deep Dixie: A Southerner's Take On Life, Romance, Faith, Friendship, Family, And Coming-of-Age Among Southern Baptists (memoir). Seems I am always "taking on God" for one thing or another, both in life and in the writing.

My husband, who is an aerospace engineer, is my first reader on almost everything I write and he is a tough critic, particularly since he prefers "hard science" over anything "creative." He's the one who has nudged (okay, shoved) me into writing the memoir after having listened to me recount the anecdotes and tales of my life during the last 18 years of our married life together. He thinks it's all very funny - and isn't that always the risk of writing as a Southerner: it all comes out sounding like some kind of deep tragicomedy, and by "tragicomedy" I mean that a Southerner's daily little "tragedies" always end up sounding like comedy to someone else.

Ian and I have recently moved to the beach (Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina) and are settling into the warmer climate and mellower lifestyle. I have a lovely windowed-all-around writing porch here and am working diligently on the memoir.