Approaching the Fields

Chanda Feldman's quiet, powerful verse unfolds bloom after bloom with a slow seethe of Black-eyed Susans and leotards, of shadow land and grosgrain. Her family's color-lined lineage ripples through history and grown-folk talk. This poet's powers are subtle and slow-boiled as she takes us by the hand and leads us through season after season of challenge and change in a stumble-proof voice that never leaves a passenger behind. ~Tyehimba Jess

In a cadence reminiscent of old gospel rhythms rising from deeper reflections on the evolution of self and culture, the poet evokes her memories of family and history, sans sentimentalism. With heartfelt precision, Feldman builds the book to its shining summit, a testimony to getting through to an understanding of what it is to stand in awe of an awareness of how love persists. Approaching the Fields is a beautifully crafted book of courage gone, courage now taking breath, and courage yet to come. ~Afaa M. Weaver

These poems gather memory and lyric craft into a seamless mix of language and music. . . .Here is a house so bright at night it makes the rooster crow. Here is a quilt over a marriage bed. But here also are the poisons of race and record. . . .The weave of dailyness and history is remarkable, transferring these realities to the reader’s present. These are wonderful, memorable poems. ~Eavan Boland