In Beautiful Corpus, Nancy Brewka-Clark shows us how she sees herself through honest detail and a glimpse at her raw thoughts about her life, her mortal body, and tales of like-minded spirits. Her work is introspective but not wistful, told with unflinching candor about the profound moments of life with brevity and a dose of wit. We’ve known Nancy since 2016, published her four times, and invited her to read her work at countless events. But just a few poems into this debut collection, she had revealed her inner self on the page, and we began really to know her. We are forever grateful we’ve had the chance to incorporate Nancy’s talent and wisdom into our work and our lives. In Beautiful Corpus, she’s sharing herself open-heartedly. Read her, and fall in love as we did.
—Amber Newberry, editor-in-chief and Laurie Moran, executive editor, FunDead Publications, Salem, Massachusetts.
In addition to absolute mastery of her craft, Nancy infuses magic into all of her work. It causes time to stand still. You may not realize where you are or what you are doing, and you might hold your breath in the excitement of the engagement and the thrill of anticipation. When you've finished reading (and finally exhale), you'll understand that you've been given an unforgettable gift that will shimmer in your imagination forever.
—Sheryl Normandeau, publisher, Paper Butterfly Flash Fiction, Alberta, Calgary.
With adroit use of form and rich layering of detail, “The Dark Night of Charles Olson” evokes both the presence of the famous poet and the aura of Gloucester, Massachusetts, where he spent many of his last years. Line by line, Nancy Brewka-Clark’s winning poem delivers.
—Martha Collins, judge for the 2019 Amy Lowell Prize, New England Poetry Club.
