Before the Storm Takes It Away

Gaylord Brewer is the author of sixteen previous books of poetry, fiction, criticism, and cookery, including the poetry collection Worship the Pig (Red Hen, 2020) and The Poet’s Guide to Food, Drink, & Desire (Stephen F. Austin, 2015). His poems have appeared in Best American Poetry and The Bedford Introduction to Literature. His many international residencies include Hawthornden Castle (Scotland) and the Global Arts Village (India), and he has taught in Russia, Kenya, England, and the Czech Republic. Brewer was awarded a Tennessee Arts Commission Fellowship in 2009. He is a native of Louisville, Kentucky, and has been a professor at Middle Tennessee State University for more than three decades.

"During the pandemic, poet Gaylord Brewer hunkered down and got to work on short essays, each meticulously distilled, the result a culmination of friendly storytelling. There's not an unwanted-or misplaced-word here, just care for life, his wife's love, the occasional jaunts, books and teaching, parents, days of self-doubt followed by self-confidence, fruits and flowers from the garden, and a dog named Lucy at his side. He writes, 'Let the remaining bees have their fun, too, a tumble in the pollen.' That's how I feel about this book. We all deserve a tumble in this golden pollen, then fly off to spread the word."—Gary Soto, author of Meatballs for the People: Proverbs to Chew On"Before the Storm Takes it Away is a testament to Gaylord Brewer's ability to perfectly balance sincerity and humor, to find the strangest moments of personal history that somehow feel universal, and to fully consider the way the past and present and future all lay atop each other. There's a lot here that reminds me of Padgett Powell's love of formality and weirdness and linguistic flourishes. Brewer is a writer I love, and this unique book feels perfect to me."—Kevin Wilson, author of Now Is Not the Time to Panic"Prolific Murfreesboro poet Gaylord Brewer turns his hand to short nonfiction in Before the Storm Takes It Away... While the structure of the 125 pieces here may project Brewer's voice in a different light, Brewer's fans and new readers alike will relish the opportunity to walk with the poet on his personal journey through the seasons of the year captured in this collection." —Eve Hutcherson, Chapter 16