Early ReviewersDavid Budbill

Set in the remote mountains of northern Vermont, Broken Wing is an allegorical tale about a blackbird with a broken wing trapped in the inhospitable north for the winter, and an African-American man known only as The Man Who Lives Alone in the Mountains, who lives a solitary life of nurturing attentiveness, simple kindness, and passionate emotional intensity. This is the story of how these two lives come together, the unexpected gifts that each offers the other, and about what it is like to be an outsider in a strange place. Exploring the themes of loneliness, survival, tenacity, and will, celebrated poet and playwright David Budbill examines the natural world around us, the wonders of birds’ lives, and one man’s deep connection to our flying friends. In simple, dignified prose that takes on the timeless, mythic aura of a folktale, Broken Wing becomes a song of praise for the cycle of the seasons and a meditation on the reality of dreams and the dreamlike quality of reality. Budbill’s lyrical storytelling effortlessly transports the reader into his realm with a rare and poetic beauty.

Park Songs presents a day in the life of an American park—a refuge for its caretaker (and resident poet), street preachers, retirees, moms, hustlers, and teenagers. Interspersed with blues songs, the community speaks through poetic monologues and conversations, while the homeless provide the introductory chorus—and all of their voices become one great epic tale of sorrow and joy.