Synopsis "Gospel of the Throwaway Daughter: Poems (in English)"
The poems in Gospel of the Throwaway Daughter describe a vision of the relationship between Jesus and Maryam of Magdala (a relationship which the author believes was intimate), and the lives of those around them at that time and in that place. Although they are, to some extent, based on New Testament and Gnostic texts, they are not meant to be read as "Christian" poems; they are, instead, poems about life and love and the possibilities of the spirit. Some of the poems in the book have been published in the literary journals Kentucky Review, Cafe Aphra, Menacing Hedge, and Construction. Nancy Bevilaqua's poems have also appeared in or are forthcoming from Tupelo Quarterly, Atticus Review, Apogee Journal, Iodine Poetry Journal, Houseboat, The Otter, Hubbub, and other literary journals. *** "Nancy Bevilaqua's poems beautifully incorporate the language of apocryphal and Gnostic texts, as well as Roman mythology, giving us pollinated lines full of an understanding of what it means to love supernaturally and to feel limited by our physicality. The characters of the New Testament are blooming, are transformed, are given true voices that are calling out past the limitations of the body. The images in these poems juxtapose the sand under our feet with stardust, uniting the sad truths of death, time, and money with elusive, honey-dripping truths that hint at a larger world." --David Rawson, Author of We Are Lovers Who Forgot Dinosaurs "...Gospel of the Throwaway Daughter could well have been found tightly sealed in a jar in Qumran alongside its earlier gnostic cousins. These poems, quiet, but confident in their passion for love, desire, and holiness, echo to the Gospels and back. Taking the modernist dictum to heart to 'make it new', Bevilaqua, like H.D. before her, has taken stock of her poetic ancestry and focused it, channeling her myriad source texts, blending language, time, and voice, to create something lovely and new." --Jordi Alonso, Author of Honeyvoiced "...takes a bold look at the New Testament and the Gnostic gospels, questioning belief, faith, dogma, and the nature of religion itself while creating a new world where 'we will / find / what strangeness comes to bless.' Despite the cruelty of the world both in biblical times, and now, we are reminded to 'Pretend it doesn't matter / how the hawk will devil fragile birds that we set free.' Bevilaqua's verse reassures us, 'It's only a matter of time / before a blessing / comes along' in this beautiful, sensitive collection." --Shaindel Beers, Author of A Brief History of Time and The Children's War and Other Poems "...an ethereal, uplifting collection that weaves a poetic quilt of expertly crafted word choices and deep, sometimes dark imagery. It seems to blend a glimmer of hope with even the darkest poem, capturing the reader and holding him until the very end." --Kevin D. LeMaster, Tupelo Press 30/30 Poet
