"A
book I fell in love with after the first couple of poems. Coe writes
about his parents with warmth, insight and grace. Here is a collection
that captures the tenderness and intimacy within the black family that
sadly goes unnoticed by much of America. Coe writes with celebration as
well as regret. His words construct a path from the innocence of
childhood into the winter of aging. Coe is a witness to black life and
black love. His book will outlive much of the poetry being written
today."
E. Ethelbert Miller, author of Fathering Words: The Making of an African-American Writer and Buddah in Winter
“At
once an extremely clear-sighted and unsentimental portrait of Coe’s
mother and father, and a book written with great tenderness. It’s rare
we can come to see our parents in themselves, and even rarer to see all
their faults and yet express love and understanding, as these poems do.”
Marge Piercy, poet, novelist, memoirist
Charles
Coe is the author of the poetry collection Picnic on the Moon. His
poetry and prose have appeared in numerous newspapers and literary
reviews and magazines, and his poems have been set to music by composers
Julia Carey, Beth Denisch and Robert Moran. Charles also writes feature
articles, book reviews and interviews for publications such as Harvard
Magazine, Northeastern University Law Review and the Boston Phoenix. In
addition to his work as a writer, Charles has an extensive background as
a jazz vocalist and has performed and recorded with numerous musicians
in the Boston area and throughout New England.
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