NESTUARY

ISBN 9781938900051
Publication date: February 2014
97 pages, 5.3″ x 7″
Read Press Release (PDF)

EXCERPT

Bologna, Italy: Piazza Maggiore has a fountain dedicated to Neptune and the lactating mermaids. Fontana di Nettuno. The nymphs cup their breasts and pebbles of water curl out in varying directions. The water seems to shatter the air.

I do this in the shower when I am especially engorged, milking myself, pressing my thumb above the nipple to see how high the spray will go. I could make a wonderful water gun. I could write my name in the snow, the names of my children, my children’s children.

PRAISE

Nestuary is a compelling document of the alchemical nature of pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and becoming a mother. In stunning, lyric language, Molly Sutton Kiefer spins the tale of a journey of intervention and invocation: the high technology of fertility treatments and the ancient wisdom of the goddesses at work together. These ‘little needle songs’ of violence, love, illness and power are rich with awareness and full of milk and mermaids, moons and medicines, and ultimately, “magnificent” babies.  And they are sung urgently and out of order, as they should be.

– Arielle Greenberg

LINKS/NEWS

Essay on Writing Nestuary 

Interview in MIEL

Interview in MN Artists

Micro-review in Anchor & Plume

Micro-review in Red Paint Hill

Review in Bad Entertainment

Review in The Collagist

Review in The Feminist Wire

Review in Literary Momma

Review in The Mom Egg

Review in PANK Magazine

Review at Real Pants

Review in TRIVIA

AUTHOR

Molly Sutton Kiefer is the author of the poetry chapbooks City of Bears (dancing girl press, 2013) and The Recent History of Middle Sand Lake (Astounding Beauty Ruffian Press, 2010).  She is poetry editor for Midway Journal and runs Balancing the Tide: Motherhood and the Arts | An Interview Project.  She lives in Minnesota with her family.

DESIGNERS

Book design by Diana Arterian and Scott Massey.