Swimming With Elephants Publications PROUDLY presents: Homestead In Reverse by Susanna Gibson! What they have produced is an engaging and heady first full-length collection of poetry by a voice that demands immediate careful attention. Whether dazzling with talent in a lofty pantoum, caring for their reader like few ever have in a heavy hearted free verse that heals something in the reader like few before, or playfully explaining Bay Area experiences during the turbulent 80s & 90s. It is rare for a poet to consider the reader in such a total way without changing the impact of the moment or leaving the reader hanging on their own. Handing off hope through hardship even when it seems impossible, this collection sings in a thousand voices for everyone who has effected the author's life; even if they are unaware that they had any effect whatsoever. Perhaps especially those folks. While being their first collection, this is no novice effort. This is an important collection. This is a book that stands for itself. Infinitely re-readable & revealing, Gibson tells their story, the story of their family, the story of their people, forgotten or ignored people, and many of the under-heard or unheard members of society so expertly that each poem feels like a short film. The kind that leaves you breathless and wishing it were longer. The kind you watch again and again. The kind you never forget.