The second poetry collection by
Tonja Dudley Bagwell
This book is an inspirational, spiritual and cultural adventure that will
tap into your essence. It will stimulate your appetite and leave you
feeling satisfied. Grace in a Garland will take you on a different path
than Sunrise of Revelations. You will still recognize the poet's
compassionate style as she takes you on a journey to explore
significant people and events, as well as universal matters.
"She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you
with a crown of beauty." [Proverbs 4:9]
Read other's reviews of Grace in a Garland
"At the beginning of many poems Ms. Bagwell uses an incisive bit of scripture, which establishes the ultimate authority and audience of her work. Beginning with a memorial to Michael Jackson that is fortified
with the titles of his own songs, Ms. Bagwell invites us to inhabit the
places and points of view of others, some of which may be
uncomfortable—be they the shoes of a hunted celebrity, the homeless,
or otherwise disaffected. She is a brave poet who asks us to put aside
our own comforts of mind, if only for the span of time it takes to absorb
her writing, in order to educate our empathy. She stresses the common bonds among all human beings and in those bonds are twined the hopes
to change the world. She delivers messages of the utmost importance, sometimes leaving poetic forms behind in the urgency. Tonja Bagwell
is a poet of a restless peace."
-- Caroline Maun, author of The Sleeping and Cures and Poisons.
In her second collection, Tonja Bagwell grows as a poet, branching out
from the personal focus of her first book to engage the political and social worlds. Meditating on figures such as Michael Jackson, Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, and Barack Obama, she maintains a deeply religious tone yet asks all of us to ponder, 'What of mystical beginnings / Or tomorrow'?"
-- John Jeffire, author of Stone+Fist+Brick+Bone.
Once again Tonja has crafted intelligent, energetic and heartfelt verse
that touches the heart, challenges the mind, and inspires the soul.
Reading her poetry is a pleasure." -- Cecilia S. Donohue, MBA, PhD
Professor and Chair, English & Communications Arts, Madonna University