Keynote
The transformative new book from “one of the most important American poets at work today” (Dunya Mikhail)
Book Title
If You Have to Go
Subtitle
Poems
Cover Image
- “Faith and doubt — in love, in God — course through Ford’s powerful fourth book, anchored by a long sonnet sequence about the end of a marriage. ‘It comes, then it goes, then it never was.’”—The New York Times Book Review
Poem Excerpt
I am content because before me looms the hope of love.
I do not have it; I do not yet have it.
It is a bird strong enough to lead me by the rope it bites;
unless I pull, it is strong enough for me.
I do worry the end of my days might come
and I will not yet have it. But even then I will be brave
upon my deathbed, and why shouldn’t I be?
I held things here, and I felt them.
—From “Psalm 40”
I do not have it; I do not yet have it.
It is a bird strong enough to lead me by the rope it bites;
unless I pull, it is strong enough for me.
I do worry the end of my days might come
and I will not yet have it. But even then I will be brave
upon my deathbed, and why shouldn’t I be?
I held things here, and I felt them.
—From “Psalm 40”
Body
The poems in Katie Ford’s fourth collection implore their audience—the divine and the human—for attention, for revelation, and, perhaps above all, for companionship. The extraordinary sequence at the heart of this book taps into the radical power of the sonnet form, bending it into a kind of metaphysical and psychological outcry. Beginning in the cramped space of selfhood—in the bedroom, cluttered with doubts, and in the throes of marital loss—these poems edge toward the clarity of “what I can know and admit to knowing.” In song and in silence, Ford inhabits the rooms of anguish and redemption with scouring exactness. This is poetry that “can break open, // it can break your life, it will break you // until you remain.” If You Have to Go is Ford’s most luminous and moving collection.
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About the Author
Credit: Helge Brekke
Praise
- “To convey her overwhelming sense of loss about the dissolution of her marriage, Katie Ford presents a strange, almost fairy tale realm. . . . As the narrative unfolds, in 39 sonnets, readers are led through a kingdom that includes a cold, distant lord, beasts of burden and multiple rooms for those who are stuck there. This landscape allows the speaker to slowly work through her feelings — from despondency . . . to equanimity. The journey also serves as a quest of sorts, as her shattered sense of self slowly begins to mend.”—The Washington Post
- “There’s a shadow looming over If You Have To Go—the poignantly-titled and brilliant collection of poetry from Katie Ford—and it’s the dissolution of Ford’s marriage. . . . She grasps for meaning in small objects, flickering moments of peace amidst the pain, and communion with the divine. That none of these seem to provide solace only makes her journey that much more devastating and beautiful.”—The Portland Mercury
- “Throughout four books, Ford has crafted lyrics that dwell on pain and beauty in equal measure.”—The San Francisco Chronicle
- “Part threnody, part longing, all song. [If You Have to Go] is anchored by an extended crown of sonnets, which feel like pained and punctuated addresses to God, herself. . . . Ford’s lines are impassioned, full of the terrible desire of doubt. . . . This book is a journey.”—The Millions
