Hi fellow Spherians!
In a major departure from my previous collections of lyric poetry, my new book,
Annals of the Dear Unknown (Kelsay Books, 2022) is a “verse-tale” set in the American colonies of the late 18th century.
In twenty-seven “chapters” written in blank verse, I tell the true story of some of my Connecticut Yankee ancestors, the Munsons, as they leave their farm in Connecticut and settle in Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania, culminating in the destruction of the valley in July 1778 after the Battle of Wyoming, and the tragedy of their missing child following the mass exodus that ensued.
I was honored to receive fantastic testimonials from historians, genealogists, and poets, including James Najarian, who calls
Annals of the Dear Unknown “a considerable achievement in the writing of poetry, history, and anthropology” and from former Canadian Poet Laureate, George Elliott Clarke, who, in addition to comparing the work to Richard Wilbur (and others) writes “. . . this verse saga is original, rich with true incident, and even a kind of chronological preface to William Carlos Williams’
Paterson.”
My book will soon be available on the Kelsay Books website and in about one month on Amazon. In the meantime, I have a limited number of copies of
Annals of the Dear Unknown, if anyone is interested in purchasing them directly from me. If so, please send me a private message, or email me at
catherine.chandler.poetry@gmail.com
I will update this post with the appropriate links once the book is available online.
As well, if anyone wishes to review the book with a view to publication, please contact me at the above email address.
Finally, I would like to thank David Mason, whom I contacted at the beginning of my project, and who graciously provided me with invaluable insights and suggestions with respect to writing narrative verse based on historical events.
Cathy