Wanda Fries

Cassandra Among the Greeks Wanda Fries

Publisher Marketing: Praise for Cassandra Among the Greeks: "Wanda Fries' poetry entrances the reader with its musicality, stark imagery and compelling insights into the human condition. Exploring themes of grief, faith and love, these painstakingly crafted poems carry a soul and intensity reminiscent of Denise Levertov. Whether giving voice to the prophetess Cassandra of Greek mythology or the would-be lover of her doppleganger in the modern world, Fries leaves the reader breathless as she unravels the truths that shape her subjects." Bobbi Buchanan "[Annunciation] took my breath away when I read it for the first time because it is so fearless and relentless and also because its language is equal to the almost unbearable occasion the writer has set for herself.... The poem moves in a way that is both meditative and urgent--almost headlong--from the initial image of Mary giving birth to Jesus to the panorama of fields soaked with the blood of women and children, where love and maternal tenderness are no match for the great brutality of the world, but nevertheless abide. I think this is a noble poem." Mary Anne Taylor Hall, author of Dividing Ridge and Come and Go, Molly Snow "Astonishing insights and leaps..." Lee Smith "Lovely poems, deeply felt, and nicely made." Alan Cheuse Contributor Bio:  Fries, Wanda Wanda Fries has published poetry and short fiction in various anthologies and journals, including The River City Review, Sojourners, and The Michigan Quarterly Review. A Breadloaf scholar and graduate of Bennington College's MFA program, she has also twice been awarded an Al Smith Fellowship in Fiction from the Kentucky Arts. She is the author of two books, Cassandra Among the Greeks, a collection of poetry, and Ash Grove, a novel. She lives in Kentucky with her husband, Denny, a geologist.