Pat Jasper collects memories, peels off their labels, gives them a good wash, and transforms them into insights. She focuses on the "small close spaces" of the family — on domestic relationships, crises, and patterns, on coming to terms with time and its power to destroy and to heal. Whether inspired by incidents or by objects infused with emotion, Jasper demonstrates a remarkably strong narrative voice, excelling as a storyteller who carefully unravels the yarn of a woman's life.

Born in New Jersey in 1943, Pat Jasper grew up on various army bases in the U.S. and overseas. She was educated at New Mexico State University and the University of Colorado. A resident of Canada since 1974, her poems have appeared in Canadian Literature, The Malahat Review, The Fiddlehead, The Canadian Forum, and in the anthology Full Moon. She was director of the Axle-Tree Coffee House in Toronto.

Pat Jasper's profile page

"Those who have followed Pat Jasper ... may be surprised by the range, intensity and wit, the mix of toughness, tenderness and honesty ..."

<i>Arc</i>

"The products of reflection and careful discernment. ... These poems possess a quiet and unpretentious strength that grows with repeated readings."

<i>Poetry Canada Review</i>