Synopsis

Gathered: Contemporary Quaker Poets, the first anthology of its kind, seeks to give the best Quaker poets writing today a voice in contemporary letters. Many anthologies of writing from other spiritual traditions have been published in recent years, and this Quaker collection will be an important addition to the conversation. The poets presented in Gathered come from all points on the Quaker cultural spectrum. There are Quakers from all over the United States and Quakers from abroad. There are liberal Quakers and conservative Quakers. There are lifelong Quakers, Quakers from hybrid spiritual backgrounds, and those who were once part of Quaker society but have since moved on down other paths.

While all of these poets have been touched in some way by the Quaker way of life, the work presented here is not religious or devotional in the traditional sense. Many poems address Quaker culture and spirituality, but they question those traditions, taking a broader view of the human condition and the experiencing of living in our complex, often troubling world, where there are no easy answers. Contributors include poets such as David Ray, Maria Melendez, Dawn Potter, Laura McCullough, Ellen Wehle, Maryhelen Snyder, Jennifer Luebbers, Errol Hess, Heidi Hart, Sarah Sarai, and many others.