First Light, Last Light, the first new poetry book in six years by Glen Sorestad,one of Canada’s elder literary icons, coming this month from Shadowpaw Press
Shadowpaw Press in Regina, Saskatchewan, is thrilled to announce the release on September 23 of First Light, Last Light, the first new poetry collection in six years by Glen Sorestad, the first poet laureate of Saskatchewan (and first provincial poet laureate in Canada) and one of Canada’s elder literary icons.
“When I started my long journey to become a poet, I had no idea how long it would take,” Sorestad says. “Now, at 88 years of age, I am amazed to be still writing poems and that readers will actually read and enjoy them. I am so pleased that Shadowpaw Press is bringing my First Light, Last Light poems into the literary world.”
“I’m thrilled to be able to publish the Glen’s first poetry collection in six years,” says Edward Willett, publisher of Shadowpaw Press. “I’m thrilled because I’ve been aware of Glen’s work for many, many years, thrilled to expand the list of poetry books Shadowpaw Press has published, thrilled because I am a Saskatchewan author and Glen is a mainstay of Saskatchewan’s literary landscape, and most of all, thrilled that readers will have the opportunity to enjoy these warm, heart-felt, sharply observed poems as much as I have.”
More about First Light, Last Light
A new book of poetry from Glen Sorestad, one of Canada’s elder literary icons, is cause for celebration.
First Light, Last Light is the first book in six years by Sorestad, who was Saskatchewan’s first poet laureate, serving two terms. As might be expected from a poet now in his 80s, the work in this volume is a mix of reflections on family, memories of youth and friends, and the not-always-pleasant aging process, all viewed with compassion, wisdom and, often, humour.
Sorestad is also a keen observer of the wildlife around him, from the birds who come to the feeder outside his window – damn those bully crows! – to the foxes and other wildlife he and his wife sometimes encounter on their morning walks.
First Light, Last Light is a book to read again and again, and treasure.
Praise for First Light, Last Light
“Glen Sorestad first came to prominence back in the ’70s writing prairie pub poems. In 2000, he proved himself the perfect person to become Canada’s first provincial Poet Laureate, and since then he has continued crafting fine poems full of telling details and warm humanity. In First Light, Last Light, he writes with sensitivity about friends and family, the present and the past. He knows the human situation, where people often carom through relationships like discs in games of crokinole. He understands the power of nature as crows and catbirds, jays and juncos, waxwings and chickadees flutter through his poems. And who else could turn an annual medical check-up into a literary seminar covered by Medicare? Yes, Glen Sorestad is still writing poems that will delight readers.”—Robert Currie, Saskatchewan’s second poet laureate
“Glen Sorestad’s poems range widely in time and space yet ground themselves in an attentive dedication to the local, to home’s dailiness: a red fox on the back lawn, ‘vocal tabernacle’ of robins, a snowy owl that causes a traffic jam in an urban mall’s entrance. Alongside loss and grief, lives wonder, joy. The snowy owl poem’s final lines aptly encapsulate Sorestad’s poetic vision: ‘hope manifests itself/in unexpected places, in wee but wondrous ways.’”—Jeanette Lynes, author of Bedlam Cowslip: The John Clare Poems
More about the author
Glen Sorestad’s poems have been appearing in print now for more than fifty years. His poems have appeared in books, journals, reviews, and magazines across North America and in many other countries, while being translated into at least eight languages. Among his many poetry books are two bilingual volumes, one English/Spanish and one English/Italian. Sorestad was named Saskatchewan’s first Poet Laureate in 2000-2004, becoming Canada’s first provincially appointed Poet Laureate. He also spent twenty-five years as a co-founder and President of Thistledown Press, one of Canada’s premier literary presses. In 2010 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada. Sorestad and his wife Sonia live in Saskatoon.
About Shadowpaw Press
Shadowpaw Press, located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, was founded in 2018 by award-winning author Edward Willett. Shadowpaw Press is a member of Literary Press Group (Canada) and the Association of Canadian Publishers and publishes an eclectic selection of books by both new and established authors, including adult fiction, young adult fiction, children’s books, nonfiction, and anthologies.
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