These Are Strange Times, My Dear: Field Notes from the Republic

(Paperback)

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In these pointed and wide-ranging essays, Wendy Willis explores everything from personal resistance to the rise of political podcasts, civic loneliness to the exploitation of personal data, public outrage to the opioid crisis-all with a poet's gift for finding the sacred in the mundane, a hope in the dark. One of the country's sharpest observers of politics, art, and the American spirit, Willis returns often to the demanding question posed by Czech writer, activist, and politician Vaclav Havel- What does it mean to live in truth Her view is honed by her place as a poet, as a mother, and, when necessary, as an activist. Together, the essays in These Are Strange Times, My Dear work within that largely unmapped place where the heartbreaks and uncertainties of one's inner life brush up against the cruelties and responsibilities of politics and government and our daily lives.

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Praise for These Are Strange Times, My Dear


Finalist for the 2019 Oregon Book Awards Sarah Winnemucca Award for Creative NonfictionA selfdescribed 'evangelist of the word,' lawyer and poet Willis dives deep in this collection of essays. Where else might one find mention of Thomas Jefferson and Harvey Weinstein (though not in the same essay) . . . Indeed, in all of the essays, Willis offers a fresh perspective on many cultural tropes . . . For those who want to share a deeper experience of life, with all its loneliness and fragility, Willis is an apt companion. Booklist

Offers a unique vision for life in such challenging times . . . Williss nuanced and interior approach to politics is a welcome departure from the harsh rhetoric so popular today. Even readers who disagree with her will appreciate her sincerity and experiences as a mother, lawyer, and author. Library Journal

Her best essays combine rigor with sensory observation, ranging widely among varied interests . . . A compassionate, measured voice that serves as an antidote to strident pontificating. Kirkus Reviews


[An] impassioned, wry perspective informs these essays, which sit at the intersection between the political and the personal. Theyre striking for their candor and willingness to consider complexity, whether shes pondering public protest or private sorrows. Amy Wang, The Oregonian

Author Bio

Wendy Willis is a writer living in Portland, Oregon. Winner of the Dorothy Brunsman Poetry Prize, she has published two books of poetry. Willis is a lawyer, the executive director of the Deliberative Democracy Consortium, and the founder and director of Oregon's Kitchen Table at Portland State University.