Angelic Scintillations

While deeply embedded in the cultural, historical, ecological, and theological zeitgeist, Angelic Scintillations continues the poet’s spiritual evolution. First, the poet dialogues with her ancestor, seventeenth century Welsh mystic poet Henry Vaughan, the religious practices of his time and mine, using current events and politics to situate the reader. Second, she resacralizes cronehood and attitudes toward aging through humour and healing and using historical and autobiographical references. Third, she revisions the relationship between Mary Magdalene and Jesus, restoring their cosmic power via a feminist viewpoint. There is a cohesiveness here that melds a feminist perspecitve with questions about religion and Biblical stories--an attempt to situate all of this within a modern-day context with issues we face politically, geographically, and environmentally in today’s society.

Award-winning poet, professional artist, Katerina Fretwell’s poetry and art reside across Canada and in Denmark, Japan, and across the United States. Recent poetry collections include Samsara: Canadian in Asia and Shaking Hands with the Night. Angelic Scintillations is her sixth published volume of poetry. Her poetry has appeared in over 50 North American journals, and in over 40 anthologies. She chaired the Lowther Jury in 2006, performed at the League of Canadian Poets Cabaret in Winnipeg in the 1980s, was interviewed by Susan Helwig on In Other Words in the late ’90s, and read her poems on Poetry In Motion on television. Her poetic sequence, ＂Quartzite Dialogues,＂ was set to music by Michael Horwood and performed thrice at the Festival of the Sound in 1999 and 2004 and at the Takefu Music Center in Japan in 1999. She is a member of the feminist caucus of the League of Canadian Poets. She lives just south of Parry Sound, Ontario.