In November 2013, Christina Ruotolo lost her mother to a rare cancer and just 111 days later, her father died of a broken heart. At age 34, Christina was left orphaned in just a matter of days. What follows is a poet's deep, rooted excavation and healing journey through the layers of what was and what still remains.... memories. This nostalgic and healing journey sifts through grief, loss, remembrance and yes, joy allowing readers to escape to the most precious of their own life memories. Opening up this poetry collection is like opening up a family cedar chest brimming with all the things that make us who we are and who we are destined to be.
About the AuthorRuotolo, Christina: - Christina Ruotolo is an award-winning poet, creative writing instructor and former editor of Her Magazine. She was shortlisted for the 2019 James Applewhite Poetry award, semifinalist for the 2020 Alex Albright Creative Nonfiction Award, runner-up for the Heart of the Pamlico Poet Laureate in 2021 and a longlist finalist for the 2023 Fish International Poetry Award. She is author of the poetry collection, The Butterfly Net and co-author of the nonfiction book, The Day the Earth Moved Haiti. Her poetry and nonfiction have appeared in Wednesday Night Poetry, Poetry in Plain Sight, Petigru Review, NC Bards Poetry Journal, Gyroscope Review, Heron Clan, Does It Have Pockets, Reedy Branch Review, and in various other magazines and journals. She holds a BA in communications and English literature as well as MA in creative nonfiction from East Carolina University. She lives in Greenville, N.C. with her husband and furbaby, Reyna.