Swerve: Environmentalism, Feminism, and Resistance (Blue Light Press)

“In the world we are in now, and the harrowing world to come, we need poems as guides, and as resistance to the forces that would corrupt and diminish us. For some time now, Ellery Akers has been crafting these necessary poems. Swerve is a book that confronts the primary issues of the 21st century with insight and candor, along with hope and courage.”

Joseph Stroud, author of Everything That Rises and Of This World: New and Selected Poems

“True and brave… I have just discovered a remarkable book.”

Kathleen Dean Moore, environmental activist and author of Piano Tide and Wild Comfort

“…An intelligent and deeply political set of poems.”

Kirkus Reviews

“…Ellery Akers’s powerful poems in Swerve are prescriptions for awareness, bolts of care. Whether about the last inauguration, war, water, bad teachers or climate change — each poem, as in "At Any Moment …" glistens with detail, and attention.”

Naomi Shihab Nye, The New York Times Magazine

“Original, deftly crafted, intellectually thought-provoking, emotionally compelling, exceptionally memorable, and showcasing an impressive literary talent, Swerve: Poems on Environmentalism, Feminism, and Resistance by Ellery Akers will prove to be an especially prized and appreciated addition to community, college, and university library Contemporary American Poetry collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Swerve: Poems on Environmentalism, Feminism, and Resistance is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.97).”

Margaret Lane, The Midwest Book Review

“…If you have been longing to find a book that is inspirational, exhilarating, and positively embraces taking action to make the world a better place, Swerve is the book for you.”

Savanna Briscoe, Call me [Brackets]

“In a world gone mad, Akers offers her characteristic incisiveness, vigilance, and generosity. These poems mourn and celebrate at once. Akers... has written urgent poems that distill, honor, and lament our world, poems that grab us by the shoulders and wake us up to the reality of human injustice…. And woven through these lines of anger and grief is the powerful, still small voice of hope.”

Maggie Trapp, Poetry Northwest

“Akers’ language is often breathtaking, the imagery sometimes chilling, and the message always serious and empowering. The important takeaway is that it may not be easy to change the world, but it’s not too late. In fact, Akers offers convincing hope at a time we need it most.”

Susan Jones, MMM Newsletter