Henry Howard

Mother's Voice on Season's Wind: Collected Poems by Henry Howard

"This collection of poems is all about finding my voice--the voice that defines me, the voice that helps me survive, the voice that guides the contribution to the world I hope to leave behind. My mother was an indelible part of the effort to find my own voice, and we were close enough to share each other's heartbeats. When she died, on May 26, 2008, everything about her simply went inside of me. The poems are mine, but the voice is hers as well as mine, speaking through my words.

At the same time, the various sections accurately reflect the ideas, experiences, triumphs and losses that have made me the independent person I am. I have now written a first full volume of poetry and a generous portion of a novel, yet I am still trying to find my voice. This collection of poems is one part of that journey--and an equal tribute to my father, who has spent a lifetime trying to make me believe in the voice he hears in me so strongly."