In Isabella Mansfield’s newest collection of poems, “Hurt Sounds,” a finalist in the New Women’s Voices Series, she allows the reader a glimpse into the most precious memories she ever shared with her father: his deathbed.
“Hurt Sounds”: a single chord strum on her father’s guitar; his collection of records; a broken harmonica. It’s a phone that won’t ring on a birthday, a holiday, or just to say hello. “No matter how long we have with our parents,” Mansfield said, “it will never seem like enough time.”
The poems in “Hurt Sounds” are described as “meditations, even incantations,” by Carrie McGrath, author of “Small Murders.”
“Loss is a universal reality for everyone, and while these poems have a profound relatability, the visceral emotions within, and each are uniquely Mansfield’s,” McGrath said. “(Her) command of language and imagery is captivating and will no doubt bewitch any reader.”
A launch party and reading by Mansfield is set for 6 p.m. Wednesday at 2 Dandelions Bookshop, 428 W, Main St. in downtown Brighton. To register, click here.
In 2023, Mansfield, who lives in Howell, released “Lemon,” a collection on disability and the intersection of physical and mental health. It spent multiple weeks on bestseller shelves as she toured indie bookstores across the Midwest. She is a three-time Pushcart Prize nominee, and three-time Best of the Net nominee.
