Books and Broadsides

Hold Fast

“Holly J. Hughes writes poems that live, breathe, and “dance two feelings at once.” They shine with gratitude; they are darkened by desire. They struggle against mortality; they bask in its beauty…. I’m so moved by these poems. They’ve become my companions.”

~Kathleen Flenniken, former Washington State Poet Laureate.

Passings

“Holly Hughes’s elegiac meditations on extinct birds give us a glimpse of the avian beauty that once filled our skies, and they echo with a sobering reminder of what we still stand to lose.   From flocks of passenger pigeons to Australia’s paradise parrot, more than 150 species have fallen silent over the past few centuries. Hughes gives eloquent voice to the voiceless in these poems and strikes a heartfelt call to awareness.” 

~Tim McNulty, author of Ascendance

Read “A Quiet Letter to the World: An Interview with Holly Hughes” by Mike Dillon in Rain Taxi, Fall 2016.

Sailing by Ravens

“In Sailing by Ravens, the language of navigation, horizons, and knots begins not as metaphorical flourish but from a literal, deeply realized seagoing life. Holly Hughes has found all her compass points in mapping this world with great intelligence, compassion, and meaning.”

~ Nancy Lord, former Alaska Writer Laureate

Read a review of Sailing by Ravens by Janie Miller in Poetry Northwest.

The Pen & the Bell

with Brenda Miller

“The Pen & the Bell: Mindful Writing in a Busy World is a needed reminder that to be fully alive and alert is a prerequisite to writing well. Brenda Miller and Holly J. Hughes are the perfect guides for helping us all slow down and see the world around us. What a wise, warm, wonderful book!”    

 ~ Dinty W. Moore, author of The Mindful Writer

Read a review of The Pen and the Bell by Mike Dillon in City Living Seattle Bookbeat.

Beyond Forgetting 

“This fine collection of poetry and short prose moves ‘beyond forgetting’ in two ways. First, it evokes the manifold dimensions and consequences of Alzheimer's disease, bringing the reader into a fuller realization of its human meaning. Secondly, it leads the reader toward a deeper understanding (beyond his or her own forgetting) of respect, compassion, humility, and human dignity.”

~Dr. Jack Coulehan, NYU’s Literature & Arts Annotation

Read a review of Beyond Forgetting by Rachel Hadas in Bellevue Literary Review.

Contemplative Approaches to Sustainability in Higher Education: Theory & Practice

with Marie Eaton and Jean MacGregor

“This inspiring volume responds to the emerging awareness in higher education of the need for student skills to maintain personal resilience, cope with complexity, and respond constructively to the challenges of our time.  Every teacher who has ever faced student discouragement and despair needs this book.”

~Peggy F. Bartlett, Goodrich C. White Professor, Anthropology, Emory University

Selected Anthologies:

I’m honored to have my poems and essays published in a number of anthologies: I encourage you to check out these wonderful collections.  Here’s a selection:

• For Love of Orcas: An Anthology, edited by Andrew Shattuck McBride and Jill McCabe Johnson. Wandering Aengus Press, 2019.

• Poetry of Presence: An Anthology of Mindfulness Poems, edited by Phyllis Cole-Dai and Ruby R. Wilson. Grayson Books, 2017

• Raising Lilly Ledbetter: Women Poets Occupy the Workspace, edited by Carolyne Wright, M.L Lyons, and Eugenia Toledo. Lost Horse Press, 2015

• The Poet’s Guide to the Birds, edited by Judith Kitchen and Ted Kooser, Anhinga Press, 200 

• Working the Woods, Working the Sea: An Anthology of Northwest Writings, edited by Finn Wilcox and Jerry Gorsline, Empty Bowl Press, 2008

• Dancing with Joy: 99 Poems, edited by Roger Housden, Harmony Books, 2007.

• American Zen: A Gathering of Poets, edited by Ray McNiece and Larry Smith. Bottom Dog Press, 2004. 

• Steady as She Goes: Women’s Adventures at Sea, edited by Barbara Sjoholm. Seal Press, 2003.