The Wood That Will Be Used

"Mary Leader's The Wood That Will Be Used is a tour de force exemplifying what results from a lifetime of labor in the word, a lifetime of one's poring over rich literary texts, and of one's developing the habit of one's offering answering texts; it also manifests a capacious mind shaped by wit, by candor, and by a keen eye. Receiving the matter prepared for her, she has shaped a beautiful structure that will serve her and us for the journey beyond. If Philip Larkin and H.D. were to have been blessed with a literary child, that child would be Mary Leader." -Scott Cairns From reviews of Mary Leader's previous work, The Distaff Side (Shearsman Books, 2022): "The Distaff Side is a fascinating, multi-layered book, beautiful to hold and to read." -Mandy Pannett, for Tears in the Fence "The final spindle ends in a cipher: the word 'Mother' in decorative capitals, with a floral sprig beneath it: a device that might appear on a transfer sheet for embroidery - or on a headstone." -Anna Reckin