Decidedly Uncertain by Kelly White Arnold

“Kelly White Arnold’s poems bring yoga’s balance to the frank, funny, and poignant diction of working class, North Carolina women. Decidedly Uncertain does its soul work “entirely without apology,” as it navigates the stories of four generations of women in Arnold’s family, contrasting their passions, parenting styles, regrets, and resistances to cultural assumptions. Each poem brings a new, prismatic light to help us see all the “enigma-mamas,” that go unnoticed, all while letting a grief and joy build a “cairn of memory.” Raise up, readers, this chapbook is going teach you how to hold a pose and transform a heart.” –Steven Leyva, author of The Opposite of Cruelty and The Understudy’s Handbook

“Reading Kelly White Arnold‘s poems is like having the most meaningful, insightful, and profound discussion with your best friend on the back porch in the summertime. These astonishing poems crack open the treacherous snares of family and the inspiring rewards of self-empowerment in the most uplifting way. I loved these poems, and you will too.”

–Carolyn Elkins, author of Coriolis Forces

“Kelly White Arnold’s pulsing, life-affirming chapbook Decidedly Uncertain aches and arcs like a novel of self-discovery. These accessible, intensely physical poems muscle away sentimentality. They excel at portraying family relationships among women. Arnold’s explorations are governed by the memorable line “I’ve been sweeping up the room of myself.” She is scarred by a puritanical grandmother and a contorted attempt to imitate Barbie during a disastrous first marriage. But her mother’s unflagging love counteracts the grandmother’s spite, and Arnold’s resilience leads to hard-earned illumination. The author’s vigorous lines radiate strength. In the end, the poet can “call in my soul to come and see” that she has learned to embrace life.”

–Michael Gaspeny, author of The Tyranny of Questions and A Postcard from the Delta