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I've Heard the Vultures Singing

Field Notes on Poetry, Illness, and Nature
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( 91 ratings, 21 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
I've Heard the Vultures Singing by Lucia Perillo is a poignant memoir that intertwines the author's experiences with multiple sclerosis and her observations on nature and life. It explores themes of vulnerability and resilience as Perillo navigates her personal challenges with a mix of humour and insight. Through vivid prose, she reflects on the interconnectedness of life, highlighting the beauty and harsh realities of both the natural world and human existence.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$4700

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate candid and lyrical memoirs that explore overcoming adversity and finding meaning through challenges. The author, a celebrated poet, offers a vivid and poignant glimpse into her life with multiple sclerosis, intertwined with reflections on nature and the human condition. Ideal for readers who value introspective narratives with a touch of humour and resilience.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

One woman's struggle to find her place in a difficult new world

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Acclaimed poet and MacArthur Foundation Fellow, Lucia Perillo, a former park ranger who loved to hike the Cascade Mountains alone and prided herself on daring solo skis down the wild slopes of Mount Rainier, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when she was in her thirties.

I've Heard the Vultures Singing is a clear-eyed and brazenly outspoken examination of her life as a person with disabilities. In unwavering and witty prose, and without a trace of self-pity, she contemplates the bitter ironies of being unable to walk, what it's like to experience eros as a sick person, how to lower one's expectations for a wilderness experience, and how to deal with the vagaries of a disease that has no predictable trajectory.

Masterfully written, the essays resonate with lovers of literature and nature, and with anyone who has dealt with disadvantages of the body or the hard-luck limitations of ordinary life.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

I've Heard the Vultures Singing by Lucia Perillo is praised for its ability to transform the everyday and often overlooked aspects of life into something perceptive and profound. Reviews highlight the author’s unique perspective that encourages readers to re-evaluate their surroundings and experiences with renewed vision.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781595340580

Publisher: Trinity University Press,U.S.

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 10 September 2009

Country: United States

Imprint: Trinity University Press,U.S.

Illustration: Illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 139.0mm

Height: 209.0mm

Weight: 240g

Pages: 256

About the Author

Lucia Perillo (1958-2016) is the author of many collections of poetry: Dangerous Life, which won the Norma Farber Award for best first book; The Body Mutinies, which received the PEN Revson Foundation Fellowship and the Kate Tufts Poetry Award; The Oldest Map with the Name America; Luck Is Luck, which won the Kingsley Tufts Award and was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; Inseminating the Elephant and On the Spectrum of Possible Deaths. Perillo's poetry, essays, and short fiction have appeared in the Paris Review, the Atlantic, the New Yorker, and other magazines, and have been included in the Best American Poetry and Pushcart anthologies. She received a MacArthur Foundation fellowship in 2000. She has taught at Syracuse University, Saint Martin's University, and Southern Illinois University.

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