Waring, Belle : Refuge

Literature Annotations

Genre	Collection (Poems) (72 pp.)
Keywords	Domestic Violence, Human Worth, Incest, Loneliness, Marital Discord, Nursing, Ordinary Life, Rape, Suffering, Survival
Summary	A very accessible collection of poems with wonderful use of language and very strong imagery. Some, in particular "Baby Random" and "Between Rounds" offer a nurse’s perspective on caregiving. Other themes include abuse and abusive relationships, married and unmarried life, and in general the seeking and giving of refuge. There are also recurring figures/persons throughout the collection which give the work an almost narrative flow.
Commentary	I think what speaks loudest in this collection is the poet’s ability to express the richness of everyday life (whether in a laundromat, greasy spoon, hospital room, or train station) lived on the edge. As one reviewer put it, there is a jazz scat feel to the poems, and that is the pulse of this book--a book that cries to be read aloud.
Publisher	Univ. of Pittsburgh Press
Edition	1989
Place Published	Pittsburgh
Miscellaneous	The author is a nurse, and teaches creative writing. This book was a winner of the 1989 Associated Writing Programs’ award series in poetry and the Washington Prize, 1991.
Annotated by	Kohn, Martin
Date of Entry	02/27/98
Last Revised	03/08/98