Brenda Kay Ledford Publishes Poetry Book

 Photo by:  Bridget R. Wilson, M.S.I.S.; Youth Services Librarian; Nantahala Regional Library

Brenda Kay Ledford pictured with her new poetry book, The Persistent Trillium. Finishing Line Press published her book on May 16, 2025.

The following authors wrote blurbs for Ledford's book:

Brenda Kay Ledford takes her persistent pen and poet's heart from such wrenching topics as Haitian immigrants and child labor to the joyful sounds of Mother Nature in "The Music of Maples" and "Leatherwood Falls."  --Lorraine Martin Bennett, author, "Cat on a Black Moon; former journalist with "Atlanta Journal" and Los Angeles Times; previous copy editor, producer, and editorial manager with CNN International; copy editor with "Clay County Progress"

Like a suncatcher, Ledford takes the harsh light of suffering, the glare of jealousy, the burn of guilt, and the blaze of grief and loss, and transforms them, blends them, into jewels cast on the walls and ceilings of our lives.  Her approachable style makes the everyday incandescent and reminds us of the beauty even in the bleak.  --Megan Lucas, Author, "Songbirds and Stray Dogs," "Here in the Dark;" Creative Writing Instructor at Robert Morris University and Great Smokies Writing Program, UNC Asheville; Editor-in-chief, "Reckon Review"

Brenda Kay Ledford describes the harshness of human nature.  Her image of a rock begins a sequence of behaviors that result from life's challenging encounters.  But it is the persistence of the trillium that symbolizes hope for the human spirit.  --Carroll S. Taylor, author, "Chinaberry Summer," "Feannag the Crow," "Beneath the Sky and Waters," and "An Appointment with the Year Monger"

Brenda Kay Ledford's book is available at:  www.finishinglinepress.com and Amazon.com