Lorna Goodison's Sojourner Poetics

This book focuses on the work of internationally celebrated writer Lorna Goodison, with special attention paid to the body of poetry beginning with the 2001 volume Travelling Mercies, published some twenty years after her first collection, and ending with her 2021 volume Mother Muse. Goodison’s prodigious oeuvre stretches over four decades, and includes a prize-winning memoir, From Harvey River, as well as a collection of essays, three collections of short stories, and fourteen volumes of poetry. This study draws attention to the recurring thematic concerns of Goodison's work, as well as the aesthetic choices of this acclaimed Jamaican writer. Morrison traces the evolution of Goodison's perspective over the years, while highlighting in close readings the formal elements observed throughout her work, reflecting a passionate commitment to craft.