On Shifting Shoals : Kelsay Books : 9781639801503 : 1639801502 : 01 Jan 2023 : I love the humor, the finesse, the wisdom in Joanne Durham's On Shifting Shoals. Her evocative language immerses us in every aspect of the beach town where she lives. We are up early "...to watch... / yolk spreading across the sky, / nourishing us more than anything / scrambled up in kitchens." She goes head-to-head with a man carping about "a creepy old guy" digging through garbage at 6 a.m. Her response: "...salvage the bounty / that belongs / to us all. Scrounge / through rubbish to find it..." Deeply aware of the environmental perils facing the ocean, she concludes the poem "The Mayor Supports Oil Drilling off Our Coast" with, "Startled on our seaside stroll / by sudden shadows thrown across the sand, / we look up to a perfect pod / of pelicans, swooping overhead." Durham's brain is wise. Her heart supple. Read her and clap for joy. Dannye Romine Powell, Author, In the Sunroom with Raymond Carver Th