The Birth of a Widow
- jodiwebb9
- Jun 11
- 5 min read
Thanks to WOW Women on Writing blog tours for the copy of The Birth of a Widow. Stop by the launch for an author's interview and book giveaway HERE. I'm responding to the tour's prompt to write about an unexpected part of grief you experienced. Scroll down for more about the book, a review and giveaway.
The Surprises of Grief
We all think we know the feelings of grief. Sadness. Regret for things we said or did (or didn't say or do). The fondness of memories. The overwhelming pressure of so many decisions that have to be made, things to be done. Saying goodbye to the things that will never happen.
I had experienced loss in my life and I thought the most recent would run along similar lines. I was not prepared for the anger. It was a fierce consuming anger that I never shared with anyone because it didn't make sense to me. Why was I angry? Who was I angry at?
There were plenty of candidates.
The man driving under the influence who ran him down as he walked back to his car after fishing.
The woman who walked into my daughter's summer job and blurted out the news before we could safely get her home and tell her somewhere safe.
Myself, for missing chances to tell him what a great person I thought he was becoming.
God.
So what did I do with that anger? I cornered the editor of the local paper (that I happened to work for at the time) accusing him of neglecting to cover the story of his tragic death. I fumed. I raged. I think I may have shouted at him. After nicely explaining that they didn't cover it because it was an accident that happened in another county the editor must have changed his mind. They covered the death. It didn't make me feel better. It didn't whet my anger.
I was surprised by the angry face of grief.
More about The Birth of a Widow
The Birth of a Widow is an utterly shattering portrait of the sudden loss of a husband and a shared life that will speak to anyone who has ever loved or lost a loved one. In these poems of electric honesty, Giorgio explores how she struggles to survive her first year as a widow, using all her wisdom, humor, anger, to cross the vast sea of grief to the other shore, bringing us—wiser, too—along with her.
—Jesse Lee Kercheval, author of I Want To Tell You
Sixty-six days after Kathie Giorgio’s husband was killed when he was struck and run over by a passenger van while walking to his bus stop, Kathie’s grief broke out unbidden into poetry. For the year after his death, she wrote the poems as they arrived. An intimate study of traumatic loss, Giorgio exposes the full depth of grief’s sadness, anger, and confusion.
More about Kathie Giorgio
Kathie Giorgio is the author of seventeen traditionally published books: eight novels, two
story collections, an essay collection, and five poetry collections. Her new novel, Unique
In All The World, will be released in February 2027. She’s been nominated for the
Pushcart Prize in fiction and poetry and awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award
from the Wisconsin Library Association and the Eric Hoffer prize for fiction, among
others.
Giorgio is also the founder and director of AllWriters’ Workplace & Workshop LLC, an
international creative writing studio offering online and on-site courses and workshops
for all genres and abilities, as well as coaching and editing services.
Meet the Author
Website: www.kathiegiorgio.org
Instagram: @kathiegio1
Twitter/X: @kathiegiorgio
Thoughts about The Birth of a Widow
If you've read any of my other reviews of poetry books (check out Water in Every Room and Sleeping with Ghosts) you already know that my knowledge of poetry is lacking. But I'm always up for voicing my opinion. So here goes...
The poetry in The Birth of a Widow exudes emotion. Reading this book is a journey that will wear you out. Perhaps because most of us have experienced love, loss or both we can recognize ourselves in the pages of this book. In her poetry, Kathie Giorgio is brave enough to let us look into her grief - the anger, the sadness, the guilt, the fear and yes, even some joy. She doesn't sugar coat it as an idealized mourning. It is messy and real.
Ready to Read
Want to Win?
Enter to win a copy of The Birth of a Widow before June 14 HERE.
Join the Tour
June 1st @ The Muffin
Join us as we celebrate the launch of The Birth of a Widow: Collected Poems by Kathie
Giorgio. Read an interview with the author and enter to win!
June 3rd @ Word Magic
The spotlight is on The Birth of a Widow: Collected Poems by Kathie Giorgio. Drop by &
learn more.
June 4th @ A Storybook World
Kathie Giorgio, author of The Birth of a Widow: Collected Poems, tackles the challenge
of honesty in writing on today's post.
June 6th @ Boots, Shoes and Fashion
Don't miss today's interview of Kathie Giorgio, a creative writing instructor and author of
17 books.
June 7th @ Shoe's Seeds and Stories
Kathie Giorgio takes you behind the scenes of My Own Writing Retreat: Created,
Directed and Thoroughly Enjoyed by Me. Don't miss a review of Kathie's latest
book: The Birth of a Widow: Collected Poems.
June 8th @ A Wonderful World of Words
Kathie Giorgio, author of The Birth of a Widow, shares how Poetry is Like a Postcard.
June 11th @ Words by Webb
Today Jodi writes abut the secret parts of grief we don't talk about as well as a review
of The Birth of a Widow: Collected Poems.
June 16th @ Cozy Home Delights
Stop by for thoughts on Writing About Grief from Kathie Giorgio as well as a review of
her latest poetry collection The Birth of a Widow.
June 18th @ Boys' Mom Reads!
Learn about the latest by writer Kathie Giorgio: The Birth of a Widow: Collected Poems.
June 23rd @ Beverley A. Baird
Beverley shares a review of Kathie Giorgio's latest book: The Birth of a Widow:
Collected Poems.
June 23rd @ Tracey Lampley
Author Kathie Giorgio gives us a peek at the balancing act of Writing While Caretaking.
June 25th @ Beverley A. Baird
Kathie Giorgio, author of The Birth of a Widow: Collected Poems, is back with a guest
post about the everchanging life of a writer in Everything Writer - Writing in Multiple
Genres.
June 30th @ World of My Imagination
End the month with a little poetry. Nicole shares a review of The Birth of a Widow:
Collected Poems by Kathie Giorgio.
Comments