Nobody's Mother

In her deepest and most personal work to date, Lesléa Newman once again captures in eloquent, lyrical language the joys and sorrows of contemporary American life. From mother/daughter relationships to family dynamics, from cultural identity to aging and loss, Lesléa Newman's keen observations will resonate with readers of any age and background.

"Lesléa Newman has given us a strong book of carefully crafted poems that never run dry. She writes honestly and with emotion that is powerful and moving whether she is conjuring up her grandmother, fully fleshed moments and places, cats, dogs and people who become vivid to us."

--Marge Piercy

"Lesléa Newman's work as a writer is characterized by a tremendous zest for living. Nobody's Mother echoes Lesléa's previous collections in that it claims a passion for all that is human, all that characterizes an emotional life lived to the fullest. What I like best about Lesléa as a poet is her ability to get her finger on the pulse of a moment and keep it there longer than most writers can or will. That's how she gets to the truth of things, applying creative pressure and not letting go."

--Eloise Klein Healy, The Islands Project: Poems For Sappho

"Northampton's poet laureate contributes NOBODY'S MOTHER. Hers is the
lovely, heartbreaking world of relationship--to mother, aunt, pet. Her
poems are barefaced, bold-hearted, and utterly accessible, painting
portraits of a life both poignantly personal and wrenchingly familiar."

-- The Women's Times

"...Nobody's Mother… is an autobiography in verse, narrated in a likeable voice that will resonate with a wide audience. Its themes include feminism, aging, the complexity of mother-daughter relationships, and nostalgia for Jewish culture along with a critique of its patriarchal and warlike aspects. Along the way, Newman offers such delights as an ode to Manhattan's now-shuttered Second Avenue Deli, and a playfully erotic exploration of middle-aged love. Newman is closely attuned to the duality of our core experiences--our love-hate relationships with God, tradition, family, and our own bodies, to name a few."

--Jendi Reiter

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Nobody's Mother

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