“I told a friend that Libby Maxey is in a class by herself, leaving every other poet in the dust. He said, ‘Say that. It’s enough.’ But, of course, it isn’t. Not when living is what living is, and clarity is comfort, and beauty kindness, and joy enabling grace. Not when her very first poem is clear and beautiful and full of joy. Not when every single poem that follows is a benediction.”
—Linda McCullough Moore, author of An Episode of Grace
“With skill and grace, Libby Maxey crafts a version of our world where ‘leaves are bickering relics in the street’ and ‘each gliss / of swithering breeze might have been prophecy.’ Her award-winning collection is a gift of sound and contemplation. We need these enduring words in this ageless form. Kairos is, after all, perfect timing.”
—Christine Stewart-Nuñez, author of Untrussed (University of New Mexico Press)
“In her sonnets, Libby Maxey often illuminates spaces that are secluded, abandoned, or otherwise unsung. The formal poetic landscapes she has carefully designed achieve a striking blend of constraint and vibrancy. These verses surprise and shimmer with gorgeous vocabulary, each a well-crafted gem that resists the formulaic. The poet alludes to Dickinson and contemplates classical subjects as adeptly as she considers concrete and cows, snowplows and sulfur, fieldstone and fair food. Whether mundane or celestial, Maxey’s lines are always smart and beautiful. Her poems take a stand for continuity and for paying attention.”
—Rebecca Hart Olander, editor/director of Perugia Press and author of Uncertain Acrobats (CavanKerry Press)
“Libby Maxey’s poems are antiphons of thought/emotion and design/mysticism in perfect accord. Few poets these days are brave enough to yoke their talent to form. Libby does this exquisitely; neither rhyme nor meter is ever forced. Rather, the reader is affirmed by the rightness of poetic phrasing, verbal inspiration. Libby’s formalism includes metaphors of subtle brilliance, and through the breadth and daring of her vocabulary, we celebrate the lost gods of our language. The variety—and cohesion—of these poems create a true kairos, an opportune moment in the span of poetry.”
—Joanne Clarkson, author of Hospice House (MoonPath Press)
“It’s a welcome experience to discover so fine a collection of contemporary poetry written entirely in sonnet form. Kairos is a remarkable volume whose voice also reflects the training and inclination of a classical musician.”
—Carole Mertz, author of Color and Line (Kelsay Books)