Exculpatory Lilies

Praise for Susan Musgrave and Exculpatory Lilies:

“The sheer humanity and gift to show our fragile, broken selves is nothing less than prayer, as spoken in Musgrave’s Exculpatory Lilies. That she brings us to the sacred ground of loss and grief, and then lifts us toward our own humility is a ceremony. A ceremony wherein we must bow down our heads to the fragility of all we know, the darkness and light we all must carry.” —Judges’ Citation, Griffin Poetry Prize

“Musgrave’s poetry is rooted in conversational phrases and natural observation interpolated with startling metaphors drawn from nature and everyday living. [Exculpatory Lilies] alights on many truthful moments.” —EVENT magazine

Praise for Susan Musgrave and Origami Dove:

“Enough tragedy to break your goddamn heart. But also enough craft to parse it for her readers. These poems might be bitter pills but they’re coated with artisanal chocolate and gold leaf.” —Winnipeg Free Press

“Musgrave at her funniest. She hasn’t lost her edge; in fact, she’s been sharpening it.” —Globe and Mail

“Musgrave writes short, pristine poems, with the elegance of fresh tracks on snow. Her poem’s stark lines are freighted with wisdom deep enough that I’ve yet to scrape the bottom.” —Dalhousie Review

“Through the collection’s quiet, mindful acceptance of sorrow, Musgrave has managed to suck the pain out of it. Sorrow simply becomes another way to experience beauty.” —Pacific Rim Review of Books

SUSAN MUSGRAVE’s most recent book of poetry, Exculpatory Lilies, was shortlisted for the 2023 Griffin Poetry Prize. She is the author of nineteen books of poetry, numerous works of fiction and non-fiction, and several books for children. She has been the recipient of multiple awards, including the Matt Cohen Award, the BC Book Awards, and Taste Canada Awards. In 2023, she was recognized with the George Woodcock Award for Outstanding Literary Achievement in British Columbia. She lives in Haida Gwaii where she is the proprietor of Copper Beech House.

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