The Art of Falling

From childhood to the present, The Art of Falling spans decades of the author’s life. Crafted by a mature poet, these poems reflect a life filled not only with past traumas but also a present enriched by Julia Wendell’s work with animals, both large and small. Her hard-earned wisdom comes from experience and endurance: “Come off a horse enough times / and you’ll learn how to fall.” Knowing how to fall allows for acknowledging pain without being weighed down by it. In these skillfully crafted, imagistic poems, Wendell explores the themes of change and acceptance while honoring and engaging in the natural world—from the verdant countryside of Pennsylvania and Maryland to the more recent woods and sandy plains of South Carolina. Horses and dogs, music and art: these are her guides and refuge as she navigates an unsettled, rich internal terrain.