At times heartbreaking, humorous, or surreal, Graser’s poetry commits to describing the world, whether nature or people, in some new light.

- Bunkong Tuon, author of Koan Khmer and What is Left

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“These ekphrastic poems about motherhood & nursing are smartly lyrical & welcome to my consciousness. It's a great pleasure to have Carol Graser's poems.”

- Bernadette Mayer, National Book Critics Circle Award finalist

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  • Generations are woven together in these poems of Carol Graser's with an ease as natural as the wind twining grasses. Her reflections on motherhood and relationships, and the small anxious dramas of everyday life are as memorable and true as any I've read, tempered by hope and humor, self-aware, yet never self-centered. It's a journey worth taking.

    Joseph Bruchac author of over 180 books of poetry, YA fiction and children’s books

  • Carol Graser as poet-wrangler/host to the long-running Caffe Lena Poetry Night always puts the spotlight on other poets. But at last, we welcome her second book to “feature” her own wonderful poems. It’s a feisty and rich gathering, ranging from humorous poems (see “The Appendix,” “The Pitch” or “Spooky Zoo Sunday…”) to many other tones and themes. Among my other favorites in this varied, moving collection include “On the 6th Floor of the VA Medical Center,” “Dark Language, and “The House," a spare beautiful lyric asking, “Is she / standing at the mercy of the sky.” This poet has a generous heart, keen eye, and memorable ear. Her poems reflect life richly lived, all the while showing a seasoned poetic craft. Her sharply observant and wise poems inhabit the gray areas of life as they grow more complicated. She conveys particularly the fullness of family losses and comforts—sadnesses, honesty, and durable love.

    David Graham, author of Honey of the Earth, co-editor After Confession: Poetry as Autobiography

  • At once shocking and then calming, Graser’s words take you on the ever-winding journey of being a mother. Deep and profound, her words and images will remain long after you have closed the book.

    Debra Wetzel, MotherVerse Magazine

  • Carol Graser weaves fanciful imagery with grim realities in her remarkable new collection, Prayer for the Sorrowful Brain. The poems are sorrowful, yet also witty, strange, and magical. An icicle blinks, loosens, and makes a daring leap. A car prepares to be sold bolt by bolt. A woman gives birth to a tree. The fairy tale scenes mirror real-world dramas that unfold in grocery stores, parking lots, and hospital rooms. Prayer for the Sorrowful Brain is one of those rare collections that combine heartbreak and laughter. I'm dazzled by Graser's "dark language of miracles," and will return to these poems again and again.

    Jackie Craven, author of WHISH and Secret Formulas & Techniques of the Masters

  • An exploration of the awe, strife, and joys of motherhood, Saratoga Springs poet Carol Graser’s first book focuses on the movement of small moments in the context of larger meaning. Her verse emphasizes repetition and enjambment, to create memorable images.

    Carolyn Niehaus , Chronogram

  • Uncertainties and pain, I know those are the truths about life. But Carol Graser’s Prayer for the Sorrowful Brain helps me find strength and courage to keep going. At times heartbreaking, humorous, or surreal, Graser’s poetry commits to describing the world, whether nature or people, in some new light. Ultimately, her poetry breaks through the chaos and clatter of life and finds what came before, not poetry but the source of poetry.

    Bunkong Tuon, author of Koan Khmer and What is Left