Author Description

This small collection of Rosella Stern's many poems has seven sections organized by theme. Some were previously published, others found in folders, boxes, hand-written on yellow legal pads, and on scraps of paper. Because she wrote poetry for 60 years, the style and formatting changed over time and differ from poem to poem within each section of the book. Her daughter Rebecca Bloom has given permission to publish any or all of it. The book is titled Rosella because the poems reveal a bit of who she was, but the seven sections do not reveal her complete person. She was incredibly witty and sometimes, hilariously funny, sometimes a little wild, but always concerned about making her home a retreat for herself and others. She cared deeply about human rights and helped many individuals in so many ways. These poems reveal how she felt about writing, her memories of her past, her Jewish identity, her connection to nature, her loves, her losses, and her resilience.