Carol Potter received her M.F.A. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1982, and has taught at Indiana University, University of Redlands, UCLA Extension Writers’ program, Antioch University, the Ohio State University, Champlain College, and at community colleges in California and Massachusetts. Brought up on a dairy farm in Northwest Connecticut, Potter lives in the Northeast Kingdom in Vermont. Potter’s most recent book of poems, Otherwise Obedient (Red Hen Press, 2007) was a finalist in the Lambda Literary Awards 2008 for LGBT poetry. Her third book of poems Short History of Pets won the 1999 Cleveland State Poetry Center Award, and the Balcones Award. Previous books are Upside Down in the Dark, 1995, and Before We Were Born, 1990—both from Alice James Books. Potter’s poems have appeared in Field, The Iowa Review, Poetry, The American Poetry Review, The Massachusetts Review, The Journal, Prairie Schooner, The Women’s Review of Books and many other journals.

“Short History of Pets is a knock-out punch from the get-go. With captivating power, it reminds us that what claims or appears to be short may also be profound, deep and enduring. Also, how many histories are hidden, and for how many difficult reasons. Carol Potter writes with a magnetically potent instinct for pacing and a stunning originality of style. Her poems pull us into scenes, images, ragged relationships, complicated worlds of adults— you’ll come out voting for children and animals, as well as re-examining every troubled saga you encounter with a more vivid eye and sense of smell. READ THIS BOOK: It’ s as important and indelible as that.” –Naomi Shihab Nye

More Information:

Antioch University

Lambda Literary

AGNI

Tupelo Quarterly