say, a river

'Pam Schindler's say, a river proves the best poems don't have to shout. There is so much light in the brushstrokes of this painterly collection, in which Schindler washes private moments of grief and intimacy onto nature's liminal spaces. These are compact poems "e;spinning into [their] own weather"e;; they are "e;thin moon[s] cradling the dark"e;.' - Zenobia Frost'Here's a poet who is one of Australia's recording angels of the natural world, whose pen's an artist's brush, whose poems "e;cut words on the clear air"e; with the arrow-sure, effortless grace that comes only from mature craftsmanship. Her themes paint dimensions of love and loss on a frail canvas made new from lissom, nimble, honey-sharp words. We breathe in this beauty aware that underneath is a leonine strength and a bright deep knowing.' - Anne Kellas'This softly-spoken collection shares the poet's contemplation of presence and absence. The reader is drawn close to poems that invite a reflective mind. Their power comes from the affectionate distillation of small details of the natural world and the deeply-felt experience of human relationships, love and loss, into direct and unselfconscious language. Having engaged her reader, Schindler steps aside and lets the words work their magic.' - Ynes Sanz