Happy in an Ordinary Thing

This engaging collection of poems is both personal and universal, nostalgic and immediate.

With a keen sense of observation and humility, and with subtle humor even in the face of tragedy, John Ridland bridges the past, present, and future by acknowledging the human need to reconcile ourselves with our memories.

Infused with a poignant optimism, these poems seamlessly align experience with the evolution of the self.

Ridland creates a compelling and demanding mixture of literary allusions and diverse forms that will satisfy and resonate from beginning to end.