A Woman Traces the Shoreline

by Sheila Squillante

Genres: Poetry

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this small but dazzling chapbook, Squillante outlines the ritual and expectation of being both a poet and a mother-to-be. These prose-poems alternate from meditations on the physical nature of pregnancy to the ritual of writing and the epic image of a “hero fighting”—suggesting the “query and quest” inherent to every act of creation. Squillante’s voice is full of wit and serendipity, transforming everyday sights into meditations of what is to come; even the construction of a Bed, Bath, & Beyond causes the speaker to “wonder how all of this will monument.” Ultimately, the hero and the woman waiting patiently on the shore—Odysseus and Penelope—merge into an affecting metaphor of endurance, transformation, and hope. Highly recommended!

[Paul Bilger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book ever, and my wife wrote it. :D

[Literary Mama]

A Woman Traces the Shoreline, by Literary Mama contributor Sheila Squillante, captures a pregnant woman's awe and confusion with her newly expanding body and sense of self. In its movement, rhythms, and repetition, the chapbook reads like a long, single poem separated by blank space. Each page carries a paragraph—sometimes only a single line—centered under an asterisk. The overall impression is that of a diary, with stream-of-consciousness entries about daily events.

Read Literary Mama's full review here: http://www.literarymama.com/reviews/a...

[Sheila Squillante · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's my book so yeah, five stars it is! :)

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This startlingly lovely chapbook was enticingly brief--I wanted more, and I'm looking forward to Squillante's full-length collection!