Author Description

Poet Healer: Contemporary Poems for Health and Healing explores the restorative qualities of poetry and personal reflective writing in relation to illness and healing. It is intended for the general reader, medical patients and their families, health care providers, therapists, and others in the healing professions along with students and instructors of reading and writing. Two hundred thirty-four poems have been chosen from world literature, primarily written by contemporary poets. Selection criteria was based on the poem's healing qualities, defined as bringing a person experiencing discordant factors into greater wholeness. Autobiographical narratives written by the editor encourage a participatory role in healing. The work has proven especially therapeutic for medical patients, health care professionals, and caregivers at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento. However it can also empower anyone seeking integration with self, deeper connections with others, and an affinity with the environment. --Chip Spann.