“Banning is a master of the spot-on metaphor, the intriguing title, the dazzling verb, the credible personification. This skill transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. Who knew someone could find such significance in cold feet, a dog’s nose, or the ‘brightness’ of a stew? The range here is vast: from dark places, to wry irony, to the blessings only pets can bestow. Under Banning’s sharp eye, July 4th becomes a statement about war. Her language sizzles with originality: the chemical sting of tears, the velvet of a mourning dove, the shadow of a hemlock, or the song of a fractured hip. In this collection, insight, humor, and lyricism encourage not only a new way to understand the world, but to appreciate it.”
~ Laurel Yourke, UW-Madison Emeritus, author of Beyond the First Draft: Deep Novel Revision