In an age when crassness, cynicism, and outright cruelty are on the rise, Joy Roulier Sawyer reminds us that the human spirit can be refreshed in the life-giving water of poetry. Lifeguards is a generous, open-hearted, affirmative book, alive to the suffering in our world but wise enough to see it all with both compassion and humor.
John Brehm, author of Help Is on the Way
"In poems that blend the verbal alacrity and
formal complexity of Gerard Manley Hopkins
with the ironic verve and cultural awareness of
Allen Ginsberg, Joy Roulier Sawyer pursues a
path of love and of longing, 'heaven's taste
trembling on honeyed tongues.' In feast and in
fast, this fine collection will melt in the mouth.
Taste and see."
Paul J. Willis, former Santa Barbara Poet Laureate, author of Say This Prayer into the Past
"Joy Sawyer's Dancing to the Heartbeat of Redemption is a rich and enriching book, a gift of both poetry and faith."--Dan Wakefield, author of New York in the Fifties
In this contemplative-yet earthy approach to living and loving poetically, former Mars Hill Review and Inklings poetry editor Joy Sawyer explores the poetry of both classic and contemporary poets, as well as her own.
Featuring poetry by Denise Levertov, Andrew Hudgins, Kathleen Norris, Anne Porter, Vassar Miller, Scott Cairns, Jeanne Murray-Walker, Luci Shaw, and others.
Biblio/Poetry Therapy--The Interactive Process: A Handbook by Arleen McCarty Hynes and Mary Hynes Berry, 3rd edition revised and updated by longtime practitioner Joy Roulier Sawyer, is considered one of the standard textbooks in the bibliotherapy field.
Bibliotherapy is the use of literature (and writing) to promote mental health and cultural understanding. The Hynes and Hynes-Berry four-stage bibliotherapy model is used by therapists, clinicians, educators, spiritual directors, and poets & writers around the world.
This is an invaluable resource for those interested in knowing more about writing therapy. For her work in the field, Joy received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association for Poetry Therapy.