Lost and Found

"In these poems, pain and joy are wrapped tightly in just the right words, erudite and philosophical, searingly funny. Whether talking about aging parents, lost loves, purring cats, birds humming in B flat, lightning-seared pines, salt works, public and private history, or the power of oceans, Mason's poems are ultimately about coming to terms with death, being grateful for life and love. Her metaphors of loss and renewal stay close to skin, bone, and the earth itself." -- Sue Parman, author of "The Carnivorous Gaze""The poems in Sandra Mason's new book, 'Lost and Found,' display the poet's deep scholarship and her command of formal constraint, while at the same time they sing a wild love song to the body and the world of nature, jazz, lovers and loved ones. Mason's spirituality is woven through this diverse collection, culminating in the lovely, wry 'Taoist' poems. Her humor is never far from the surface in these poems, leading us easily from loss to light and back to inevitable loss. 'Lost and Found' is an impressive collection." --Toni Hanner, Oregon book award finalist for "Gertrude""Sandra Mason's poems chronicle a woman's past and present; they are often intimate, sometimes gnarly, and keenly observant of her world, particularly that of the Oregon coast where she lives. The speaker's voice is confidential, yet heroic, and reveals a woman who has lived, and still lives, her life on her own terms--a life of astute self-knowledge and with few regrets--who advises us to wait 'until the surge has circled 'round /and gently floats you home' ("Goin' Down To Big Mary's ..."). --Joseph A. Soldati, author of "In Italy: A Personal Journey"