Thursday, January 14, 2010

ABOVE THE FROSTLINE - NEW AND SELECTED POEMS


Congratulations to my mentor and my friend, Nancy Simpson. Her book, Living Above the Frostline – New and Selected Poems, will be published by Carolina Wren Press, Durham, NC.
 Nancy’s poetry collection spans thirty-two years and is the first book chosen by Kathryn Stripling Byer for Carolina Wren’s Laureate Series.

For over thirty years, Nancy’s poetry has been published in the best literary magazines. Early on in her writing career, Nancy published two books, Night Student and Across Water. But Nancy, working at the time as a special needs teacher, was also quietly dedicating herself to other writers in her home area of western North Carolina. She took on the leadership of the writing organization, NCWN West, and she taught writing and poetry in night classes at Tri-County Community College.

Before she knew it, the years had flown and she had not published another book. When she retired from her job, she put her efforts into a new manuscript. Through family tragedies and health problems she endured, never wavering from her goal of publishing a complete collection of her poetry.

This book is a landmark, in a way. We all know that youth reigns in this country. Older men are revered for their achievements, but often women over fifty are dismissed, no matter how talented or special their work. That is why I applaud Carolina Wren Press and Kathryn Stripling Byer for choosing this book to publish as the first in the Laureate Series.

5 comments:

  1. Love the photo, Nancy. This will be on the dust jacket, I hope! K

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  2. Wow! This sure is a beautiful photo, Nancy, I just love it.

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  3. Nancy, you look so beautiful holding those Starfire Lilies! How appropriate, because you are our Star, and you inspire a fire in our souls to write. God Bless you, and I hope you make the New York Times' Best Seller List. Carole ThompsonThompson

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  4. Congratulations Nancy! I can't think of anyone who deserves it more. The photo is lovely! Glenda Barrett

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  5. That is an absolutely fabulous picture. It shows how lovely Nancy is through and through. Her book will be lovely too.

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