
Poetry
Balancing: Poems of the Female Immigrant Experience in the Upper Midwest, 1830-1930 The poems in Balancing were inspired by the experience of women who, in the 19th and 20th centuries, sought new homes in the Upper Midwest. The first waves of pioneers, predominantly Yankees from Northeastern states, were soon followed by European immigrants. Few women recorded their struggles and satisfactions, but by juxtaposing research and imagination, Ernst breathes new life into their forgotten stories. To read one of the book's poems, click HERE. "With a painterly eye, Kathleen writes with empathy, compassion and profound understanding for their lives; these women who were forced to balance from stump to stump/from Old World to New, from dreaming bride to resolute wife/one foot rooted solid, the other suspended in air. ...The lucky reader who takes the time to be with these poems can't help but be riveted and spiritually enlarged by Kathleen's work." ~Andrea Potos, Author of Marrow of Summer and Mothershell
This collection of eighteen poems is Kathleen's fortieth published book. It is available for online ordering in trade paperback and ebook formats from independent bookstores or Bookshop.com and the following.
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Lost, 1867 From Balancing: Poems of the Female Immigrant Experience in the Upper Midwest, 1830-1930, a collection of eighteen poems published by Little Creek Press. © 2021 Kathleen Ernst, LLC. |
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Ascension In 2012, the Franciscan Spirituality Center in La Crosse, WI, sponsored a writing competition which focused on the healing power of the natural world and God's presence in all creation. Ascension was the Grand Prize winner. My talented friend Eileen Daily painted the Orca. To read the poem, click HERE. |
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Handwork Since so many 19th-century women left no written records behind, I've long been fascinated by the remnants of their lives that do remain. After writing this poem I chose to create a video version; it can be viewed by clicking on the image to the right. To read the poem, click HERE. To watch a video of the poem, click on the Handwork photo. |
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Facing Forward From Balancing: Poems of the Female Immigrant Experience in the Upper Midwest, 1830-1930, a collection of eighteen poems published by Little Creek Press. © 2021 Kathleen Ernst, LLC. |
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Inarticulate, 1908 This poem was inspired by a visit to Cumberland Gap National Park in Kentucky. It was originally published in the Fall 2006 issue of Appalachian Heritage. To read the poem, click HERE. |
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