I'll Leave a Light On for You

“I’ll Leave a Light On for You is an absolutely luminous meditation on what it means to love in a world where nothing can be held forever. Bortz has a way of holding space for the grief of what cannot last while reminding us why it’s worth it. Here, love is fleeting—and still everything.” — Elise Powers, author of The Size of Your Joy“Tender, lyrical, and achingly gorgeous, in I’ll Leave a Light On For You, poet William Bortz devotedly turns toward the people he loves — his wife, his daughter and the ordinary moments of his life where beauty lives. With breathtaking intimacy, he speaks of them as if the whole world begins and ends in their hands. Woven through it all is the nostalgic pain of his own childhood and relationship with his father, alongside the gentle, luminous devotion towards the daughter that made him one.” — Rose Brik, author of my father’s eyes, my mother’s ragePraise for The Grief We’re Given“Bortz delivers a subtle portrait of violence and endurance, and an intriguing work that places varied experimental forms in dialogue with one another.” — Publishers Weekly“With their quiet intensity and graceful questioning, these verses will pull you inside yourself and out into mysterious communal joy.” — Christine Jewel, author of Fading Through“A luminous and consistently breathtaking exploration of grief, Bortz’s stunningly crafted writing will stay with you long after its final exhale.” — Blake Auden, author of Murmuration“The imagery is tangible; the metaphors are breathtaking. The depth of this collection makes it one worth reading again and again.” — Davis John Patton, singer/songwriter

William Bortz is a poet from the Midwest. He is the author of Many Small Hungerings and The Grief We’re Given. You can find his work published online in Turning Leaf Journal, Button Poetry, Okay Donkey, MudRoom, and others. William is a music enthusiast, basketball lover, and grateful father and husband.