migrations

A parent succumbing to Alzheimer's, an elderly neighbor's cancer, a victim of urban violence, friends taken by the first wave of the AIDS crisis--these are some of the experiences explored in William Coughlin's migrations. The focus here is on loss as the fundamental condition of life. Whether on foot or in flight, on land or water, as each of us tries to live in the present, we are pulled toward a confrontation with mortality. The poems reach back into the pre-human past and forward into outer space in order to illustrate the conundrum of consciousness. In the end, the poet finds healing and redemption in acceptance of the self as one among many, salvation in letting go. "Few books of poetry combine intelligence, vulnerability, and playfulness as successfully as William Coughlin's migrations does." --Tony Trigilio, author of Historic Diary "These poems are unimposing yet forcefully sharp enough to strip a moment to its core, and once there, they are confidently free of overly staged interpretation. Don't be fooled by the restraint and the quiet. The effect achieved is to read living's continual shock toughly understood." --Ed Roberson, author of To See the Earth Before the End of the World About the Author William Coughlin received his MFA in Poetry from Columbia College Chicago and his MA in English Literature from DePaul University. At various times in his life he has been a seminarian, a teacher, a Unitarian Universalist, a classical pianist, a runner, a dog lover and a world traveler. He lives with his partner and their cocker spaniel in Chicago and spends as much time as possible on the coast of Maine.