Stories from the Bell Jar: A Life in Poems

This short collection of poetry traces the steps of a woman into the depths of human suffering: abandonment, violence, rape, heart break, and powerlessness in the face of death. The author, a psychotherapist, shares her story of suffering not as a badge of victimhood but rather as a reminder that the human spirit can be unbreakable with the help of a poem or two.

The collection begins with "Daddy", winner of a regional literary prize. The poems continue in chronological order, ending with "Chase", a reminder that the journey to settled ground can be wrought with pain and confusion.

A self-titled "Plain-English Poet", the author seeks to connect directly to the heart. If you enjoy poetry that requires much effort and a dictionary to decode, this may not be the book for you; however, if you resonate with lines that communicate the raw honesty of what it sometimes means to be a woman, this is the collection for you.