Why I Never Finished My Dissertation

Named one of seven Best Indie Poetry Books of 2019 by Kirkus. Foley’s writing may appear sparse and reserved but it harbors a subtle power. The poet’s greatest strength is her acute sense of observation. She possesses the ability to thread sensuousness into the fabric of everyday life…This is a dazzling volume of poetry that delights in crisp imagery and tender recollections. -Kirkus Reviews

Eric Hoffer/Montaigne Medal Finalist Eric Hoffer/da Vinci Eye Finalist Eric Hoffer Book Award Honorable Mention

The quest to discover why this poet does not complete a dissertation, leads to an astonishing read. This collection reveals a wide range of life-changing experiences beginning with a marriage to a hunchback Moroccan, almost twice the writer’s age. Other poems express revelations and observations that arise out of travels, such as a trip to Tehran, where the poet stands on a bullet-riddled balcony watching a hurried crowd spill Khomeini from his coffin. The signature poem unveils a suddenly busy domestic life in a second marriage with three young children and puppies. Toward the end readers experience love which results in marriage with a same-sex partner. No matter one’s personal story, what makes a story great is how it is told. -The US Review of Books