How About Now

Kate Baer is the three-time New York Times bestselling author of What Kind of Woman, I Hope This Finds You Well, and And Yet. Her work has also been published in The New Yorker, Literary Hub, Huffington Post, and the New York Times.

"Longtime poetry buffs and poetry newcomers alike will enjoy this collection." — Library Journal“Kate Baer’s newest collection of poetry is a luminous exploration of aging, transition, and self-discovery. How About Now solidifies the bestselling poet as one of the most authoritative and renowned voices on issues that universally resound for a modern woman, from contemplations on motherhood to musings on the entrance to midlife.” — Harper’s Bazaar“In this luminous new collection, Kate Baer captures the ache and beauty of middle age. From releasing children to reclaiming self, and reckoning with time’s relentless march. With her signature candor, she sketches poems that feel both intimate and universal, as if she’s speaking directly to the pulse of modern womanhood.” — SheReads"How About Now, the spectacular new collection by bestselling poet Kate Baer (What Kind of Woman), is all about change: the effects of getting older, what it’s like to watch your children grow, how relationships evolve (or don’t). Touching on everything from text chains to bridesmaid speeches to panic attacks, the poems uncover the profundity behind our seemingly ordinary lives. Keep this slim book on your nightstand—it reads like words of compassion from your wisest friend." — Real Simple“The motherhood/womanhood/friendship trifecta wouldn’t be complete without the work of the inimitable poet Kate Baer, and her newest book of poetry arrives just in time for cozy season. Her books grow right alongside her, this release focusing on aging, watching kids grow into adults, and the ride of midlife.”  — Worth Mentioning“Kate Baer's poems are so full of life—life as it is now, life as it is for so many of us who are women and wives and mothers—that I can hear them breathing. I loved this book.” — Emma Straub, New York Times bestselling author of This Time Tomorrow"When you love the world and are weary, here is Kate Baer to shine her light like the kind of radiant and brilliant friend who says, same. Who says, I've got you. So you can take a breath and let your shoulders drop. So you can turn and lift your face. How About Now is a balm, a banister, and a battering ram. Her very best yet." — Catherine Newman, New York Times bestselling author of Sandwich"Raw, honest, painful, inspiring. To see oneself reflected in another person's words is such an important reminder of how not alone we actually are. Beautiful and real." — Jenny Lawson, New York Times bestselling author of Let's Pretend This Never Happened and You Are Here“Kate Baer has a brilliant, transformative talent for 'making/ everything/ into something.' She makes life into art, crafting poems that are part snapshot, part mirror, part outstretched hand. Baer’s poems are beautifully distilled and compressed, but they’re enormous inside; they hold our world. How About Now is her best book yet.” — Maggie Smith, New York Times bestselling author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful"Midlife, midnight. In love and out of it. Kids, cats, the ominous pulse of time, time, time. Every Kate Baer poem in How About Now is a lifeline, tethering one woman to herself. To read this collection is to be known." — Rachel Yoder, author of Nightbitch"Kate Baer’s poetry is a prescription for the agony of modern living; each word she writes convinces me that nothing is mundane and everything is meaningful." — Nora McInerny, author of Bad Vibes Only and It's Okay to Laugh“Sometimes I think reading Kate Baer's poetry is as good as therapy. She examines womanhood at various stages of life, laying bare the complex struggles and emotions that come with each. Baer encourages readers to grab hold of their desire and hunger for life and take a triumphant bite.” — Becca Naylor, American Booksellers Association