PAPER STORMS PAPER Whispers

‘Very contemporary’ Graham Rowlands, Poet and Editor

‘The poetry of Sara Abend-Sims in PAPER STORMS, PAPER Whispers is both a sonic and affective delight. Her words capture snatches of memory, vignettes which focus on people and places from long ago, the personal and political intertwined; here the reader will discover many moments of insight and vision centred on contentment and clarity as in Cradled, At The Exhibition and Gold’n All; and moments of great sadness and loss as in The Auschwitz poems, Memorial in Budapest and Not On Our Shore. Through the poet’s reflections we are encouraged to share her observations and insights as she encounters the homeless, the migrant, a city or a building or as she recalls a childhood delight or longing through a half-forgotten scent or image. Her carefully-crafted flow of images and sounds both through her poetry and prose poems (Haibun) remain long after the reading is done. As the poet herself notes, while her observations focus on ‘ocean waves’, her ‘pebble makes tiny ripples’ (Moments)—echoes that continue to resonate for the reader, challenging and evoking their own personal memories.’ Gerraldine Bloustien, adjunct Associate Professor, School of Creative Industries Division of Education, Arts and Social Sciences, Magill campus.

‘An exquisite exemplification of how a non-native English speaker’s writing succeeds in evoking alternate perspicacious poeticities.’ Professor Ghil‘ad Zuckermann, Chair of Linguistics, The University of Adelaide