Delighting in “To Be”: Poems for Writers by Loralee Clark is a lyrical and thoughtful mediation on what it means to be a writer. “Delight,” the opening poem of the collection, is an exhortation to write: “…let’s not make it harder/than it has to be.” From there Clark pivots to the core question of her chapbook: Why write?  “…it’s just one foot in front of the other answering questions which need to be asked.” Her anguished “The Reason” reaches deep to show us her creative process: Cut me open, slick and somber, splayed on your desk.  As with all of Clark’s poetry, the natural world figures prominently as a source of wisdom and joy: “A hawk flew into a window. Did she think she was headed into the sun?” This collection is a love poem to writing and to all who cherish it.  A writer who is facing a “dry spell” will find this collection a life-line! Those who aspire to write will find it inspiring. Those who wonder why in the world we do it, might find these poems a window into the heart of the writer.

--Ann Chinnis, Pushcart Prize recipient, 2025, author of Poppet, My Poppet, I Can Catch Anything, and Love Song: Port & Starboard (forthcoming)