Gerri Frager has spent much of her life working in the care of critically ill infants and children and integrating the arts into patient care and education. Poetry and pottery have each been a sanctuary during tough times as has noticing the everyday beauty found in nature. In Signs of Life: Images formed from Words and Clay, the author merges these passions to create a most unique and insightful book.

Each poem is accompanied by an image of pottery created by Frager, one reflected in and mirroring the other. The first section of the book focuses on her gratitude for the small and powerful gifts found in the natural world followed by poems and images involving patients, families and health professionals. "Miscellaneous Meanderings" form an eclectic section with random subjects as varied as her experiences listening to music to the loss of a neighbour's dog. "Born of the Personal" involves life-changing experiences ranging from surgery to seeking meaning in the constellations of the night sky.

Signs of Life is a powerful exploration into matters of loss and love through poetry and pottery and the life experiences of a medical professional who has dedicated her life to healing and comforting those she works with.

Gerri Frager has worked as a physician in paediatric palliative care for over 20 years and was director of the Humanities HEALS Program, integrating the arts into health care and education. She also works as a potter in stoneware and porcelain and fires her creations in a kiln at her home in Spry Bay, Nova Scotia.

Gerri Frager's profile page