Bewitching incantations await in this new collection of poems aptly called River Spells.
In River Spells Heller takes us to her beloved Yuba River, introducing us to what she sees and experiences in a recitation of musical words that invite our bodies and spirits to dance with her: insects sibilate, stars shimmy, all this life/thrumming/through me, cacophony, gurgles, murmuration, whisper, bubbling, blowing… Delicious words that describe the Yuba River and enchant the reader.
And true to her poetry, she asks the important questions that are left humming in our hearts, “What kind of watermark will you leave?”
–Wendi R. Kaplan, Poet Laureate, Alexandria Virginia (2016-2019)
In nature, there are magical moments we want to bottle up and take home with us. Meredith Heller does just this in River Spells. She captures the essence of the river’s magic so we can keep it close and dip into it to renew our spirits whenever we need. Her words, like spells, conjure the water’s music, the sun’s warmth, the “stories from stones.” River Spells will bring you into an experience of oneness of the natural world, and like any good spell, transform you back into your true nature.
–Chula Gemignani, Art activist and creator of RiverWays: A River-Goers Guide to River Etiquette
