Author of A Little Book of Lies and No Longer Time, poet Phyllis Hotch offers stunning and poignant poems in her new book, 3 A.M.
In her introduction, Marjorie Agosín writes: “3 A.M., the time of insomniacs and poets, is a collection of evocative and mysterious poems, a profound journey into the realm of dreams. It is a book that speaks of the altered mind, due to aging and disease, well as a book that celebrates the sacredness of being alive, of reflecting about solitude and beauty, landscape and renewal.”
“Time is my only companion,” declares the speaker of the poem, “Metaphor,” establishing the tone for stark meditations on age, increasing physical frailty, and the mind’s resilience. Considering travel, a narrator muses, “It may be too late for Bali/ dancers in swirling silks. / If I don’t like heat or damp, why leave here?” The familiar southwestern mesa consoles – ‘Fuzzy asters, praise them and the valiant lavender” – even as the speaker takes the daily drive to her husband’s nursing home. With a compassionate, unsparing sensibility, Hotch examines aging in contemporary consciousness and culture.
– Robin Becker
3 A.M.
Phyllis Hotch
3: A Taos Press
Publisher, Andrea Watson
P.O. Box 370627
Denver, CO 80237
3: A Taos Press is a multicultural and ethically voiced independent publisher
committed to fostering and honoring the work of writers of all cultures.
The publisher is pleased to host readings, book signings, workshops, and events
throughout the year across the United States featuring the press’s list of contributors.
Cover Design by Leslie Cox Taos, New Mexico
Book Image by Larry Bell Taos, New Mexico