A Nancy Willard Reader

Selections from Nancy Willards acclaimed volumes of poetry and prose This diverse collection features some of Nancy Willards most critically lauded poetryincluding works from her Newbery Medalwinning volume, A Visit to William Blakes Innas well as her short fiction and four unconventional essays on writing. Hens, children, magic bottles, and the moon are just some of the characters running through the luminous musings gathered here. How to Stuff a Pepper becomes a heady discourse on the thoughts and sleeping habits of peppers. The Doctrine of the Leather-Stocking Jesus and The Hucklebone of a Saint are tales about the power of superstition to shape our lives. Other stories showcase favorite Willard themes about God, religion, and the magic and mysticism in everyday lifeand the ancestors, guardians, saints, and spirits who, in Willards words, come back once in a while to keep an eye on us, the living. A paean to the power of storytelling, A Nancy Willard Reader is an essential volume for poetry and fiction lovers.