The Words We Wear: New and Selected Poems

The Words We Wear transports the reader into moments described with realistic authenticity and emotional resonance. Passion, fun, complexity and power--her poetry expresses shared human experiences in ways that intimately feel at home. She is a language carver-carving new meanings out of what we see in society.- Dr. Doris Boutain, Associate Professor, University of WashingtonGlendal Wallace has a rare gift: the ability to stay grounded in the present while offering an uplifting vision of the future. She writes with a raw, unfiltered energy that carries through every piece, offering a gentle, unassuming warmth-yet strengthened by a powerful sense of conviction. I'm continually struck by the openness and force of her words. Each piece she shares shows thoughtful understanding of today's challenges paired with her hope and optimism for what lies ahead. - Norm Johnson, Former Director, IDEA Public Charter Schools, Washington, D.C.Wallace hits all the high notes well and avoids the dangers, and that is high praise. "Words Take Their Own Journey" gives a clear vision of how the musicality and drive of oral tradition can land, delicately and with gentle authority. The poem speaks out to a wide audience but feels personal. "Weep America II" is such a fine poem, exploring in one compressed space the pain, self-deceit, ignorance that we all suffer from being "stuck" where we are now. It's the poem all of us need desperately, right now. - Rebecca Ellis, Distinguished Poet and Master Naturalist, University of Illinois Read more