The Salt and the Song

Petrucci's The Salt and the Song stands at the edge of humanity and gazes beyond the limitations of earth to remind us that we are inseparable from nature, that we are made of water, that the moon is not a stand-in for a muse. If eternity had an echo that we could actually hear it would be the song that rises out of these poems. The power of a crushing tide and the yearning of the sea tethers Petrucci's reader as these poems navigate uncharted parts of the ocean that surges through all of us. -Nicole Santalucia, winner of the 2018 Charlotte Mew Prize There is no better witness to the divine than a woman. Virginia Petrucci is a collector of beautiful objects, a medium for the unknown & the known. The form delivers a captivating dismemberment of self, makes itself precious in chaos like a piece of polished sea glass-it is poetry that revels in burning at both ends. This collection is a testament to the at-last unshackled wrist, and the gorgeous, brutal fact of womanhood & water. Amidst The Salt and the Song's energy and grit, Virginia Petrucci is at her most free. -Giana Angelillo, author of Psychopink

In The Salt and the Song, Petrucci highlights women's experiences with images from the natural world. With bold and vivid lines, she unfolds beautiful settings that draw on each of the reader's senses. The variety of structures keep the reader engaged, and each poem fits naturally with the last in this cohesive collection. By giving emotions to the moon and sun and sea, Petrucci makes them appear closer and nearer to us. Along the way, her clever, creative wordplays offer delightful surprises. The final poem leaves the reader with a sense of unfinished business, emphasizing the lifelong process of growth. -Amy Lauren, author of She/Her/Hers and God With Us