Love always returns to the center and the land.
Poems of one family’s history and the history of a small town.
"Thank you so much, Dr. Hall. I wanted to tell you how much I like your poem 'To a Father Dying Young.' It's really such a fine poem. I really liked it, and I'm not just being polite."
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—Angela Jackson, Illinois Poet Laureate, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award nominee.
"Expressed in verse, Prairie Roots by James Lowell Hall is the story of a town, a home, a family, and a legacy. Told with poetic charm and treasured photographs, the story begins in 1915 in the town of Delavan, Illinois, with the marriage of Ray and Marguerite Lillibridge, the poet author's grandparents.
From that time forward, joys and trials were lived and shared, and then told and retold, becoming memories that form the foundation of a family rooted in the prairie soil of the Midwest. Take time to appreciate the history, dignity, and love within this small-town family. Allow the poetry to reach deep into your own memories, unearthing your own stories and your foundation.
Critique: Of particular interest to fans of storytelling in verse, Prairie Roots by James Lowell Hall is an extraordinary compendium of deftly crafted free verse, much of which will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. With themes dealing with love, family history, community life, and personal experiences that have universal implications, this paperback edition of Prairie Roots from Shanti Arts Publishing is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Contemporary American Poetry collections."
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―Midwest Book Review, Poetry Shelf, July 2024
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Prairie Roots is the story of a town, a home, a family, and a legacy. Told with poetic charm and treasured photographs, the story begins in 1912 in the town of Delavan, Illinois, with the courting and marriage of Ray and Marguerite Lillibridge, the author’s grandparents. From that time forward, joys and trials were lived and shared, and then told and retold, becoming memories that form the foundation of a family rooted in the prairie soil of the Midwest. Take time to appreciate the history, dignity, and love within this small-town family. Allow the book’s tenderness to reach deep into your own memories, unearthing your own stories and your foundation. More...
The POETRY of JAMES LOWELL HALL
"Prairie Roots is a beautifully written and powerful collection that is grounded in family myth and reality in a deeply captivating way."
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—Caitlin Jans, founding editor of Authors Publish Magazine and the co-founder of The Poetry Marathon
"This book sparks such joy! Such depth of heart and richness of story! Prairie Roots is a celebration of love and family, of long marriage, of country wisdom, the intimacies and deep history of small town life. Read these poems and let your heart melt, your smile break out wide."
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—Judyth Hill, author of the internationally acclaimed poem, "Wage Peace," and poetry collections Hardwired For Love, and Dazzling Wobble
"Prairie Roots is a vibrant, unforgettable tapestry of time and memory....Prairie Roots is a reminder of the fact that love is never truly lost."
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—Daisuke Shen, author of Vague Predictions & Prophecies