Small Talk

Small Talk

By Mary Lou Sanelli

When Mary Lou Sanelli saw the cover painting by Lois Silver—“Girlfriends”—she longed for the intimacy these women share. So she set out to compile a collection of poems that captures the feeling the painting expresses, that innermost connection between people.

Here are those brief conversations that make us whole—small talk brimming with complexity, humor, fear, and life.

• 978-0-931271-91-5 • trade paper • 96 pp • $15.00 ORDER NOW

Small Talk

By Mary Lou Sanelli

“Erudite, yet highly readable and entertaining, this engaging and comprehensive collection of poems has broad appeal. Sanelli touches hearts, minds, and funny bones with this very satisfying work of art.”
••Karen J. Hanan Executive Director, Arts Northwest Talk Show Host, KNOP Radio’s Art Beat

“Sanelli’s work is creative, beautifully written, and jaw-droppingly honest.”
••Margaret Bikman Entertainment Editor, the Bellington Herald

Mary Lou Sanelli

Mary Lou Sanelli has earned a solid reputation in the literary community through a steady commitment to writing and publishing and through twenty years of successful public readings. This includes her widely produced staged reading from her poetry collection, The Immigrant’s Table, an acclaimed, original spoken duet that dramatically and poetically tells a story of immigration, cultural adjustment, and weaving Old and New Worlds together into a rich fabric of memoir.

She is the author of six poetry collections previous to Small Talk. Her previous poetry collection from High Plains Press, Close at Hand, was chosen as one of nine Northwest titles in 2005 to be issued in braille by the Seattle Public Library. She also works as a columnist for a number of Northwest newspapers and magazines, and her radio commentaries have aired on numerous radio programs including NPR’s Weekend Edition.

Mary Lou also works as a public speaker and as a dancer, dance instructor, and choreographer. This training and performance experience enables her to present her literary work with skills that surpass the average author reading. She presents her work at corporate events, theaters, writing conferences and festivals, literary venues, colleges and universities, book clubs, and private events.

She divides her time between Seattle and Port Townsend, Washington.