Hope Wears a Cowboy Hat

In Hope Wears a Cowboy Hat, Mary Sesso does not shy away from difficult topics. When recounting a traumatic event or describing a disease that takes its toll on the body, Sesso's poems give us moments of grace and even hope. In "Praise the Unexpected," she reminds us that nightmares can be rendered powerless through language: "If you don't like us, write your own." Sesso engages the human experience with clear eyes and compassion, while also inviting us to share her love of the natural world. Her exceptional poetic talents are on display in those small and eloquent details that linger with us long after we have finished reading. -Jonathan Lewis, author, Babel On, and editor, The Federal Poet