Tracy Conway’s I Wandered From New Orleans: Poems from the South
is a well-crafted book, very professional in design, and an impressive size for a volume of poetry. When I started to read the poems, I was taken to a world I had never experienced and given insights into a life I’ve never had to lead. Tracy spent some time on the streets, and many of her poems reflect this experience with a poignancy I found enlightening.

I felt shivers running down my spine reading several pieces — impressed by the mental pictures drawn by economical word choices. I was amazed by the number of subjects that we had both chosen to write about in our own words and own pages and how similar the emotions were.

It is hard to put into words how moved I was by this collection. My favorite poems were “The Three”, “Cookie”, “The Joker Smile”, and “The Faire En Memoriam”. Of course, it is hard to choose amid a volume of strong pieces. I highly recommend the book to all lovers of poetry who can handle some hard truths.

I’ll leave you with a verse from the title poem in the collection:

“All that hard time living
Will take a toll on you,
Pay it now or pay it later
The great reward is your truth.”