Mosaic

Mosaic: Poems from Travels in Italy expresses wonder and close observation of the many layers of Italy: its storied past, its rich natural environment, and the vast diversity of its present, from homeless encampments on the streets of Rome to mega-yachts in the ports of Elba. A mosaic is a relationship between parts and whole, and this collection of poetry, much of it in Italian forms (the sonetto, terza rima), assembles a portrait of a nation through a myriad of small moments and observations that are gritty and whimsical in turn, and always lyrical.

Whether the subject is catacombs, cobblestones or the Colosseum, Hill's poetry is elegant and simultaneously earthy, fluid but solidly in contact with the peoples, cultures, and landscapes of the Italy she guides us through, and as inviting as a steaming cup of espresso in a hidden little cafe.

--Matthew Dickerson, The Voices of Rivers: Reflections on Places Wild and Almost Wild


Mosaic is a rich and soaring journey into the self. I found myself continually surprised and uplifted. Hill's musical language is energized by assurance and wit. There are technical flourishes and dazzling asides. Each stop across Italy's complex past and vibrant present is an occasion for reflection and renewal. What better way to travel?

--Ray Hudson, Moments Rightly Placed: An Aleutian Memoir


Cindy Hill has this way of making you see. And feel. Like you have just arrived in Italy. And Rome is steaming from a recent summer shower. Thunder tumbles out of her poetry. And compassion. And understanding. And wit. No boring words or observations here! She writes the whole grand panorama of Roman life, from catacombs to cappuccino, from the Tiber's Tiger Supermarket to the Pantheon; then she whisks us north to the Piedmonte, to the southern slopes of the Alps, where she speaks to millennia-old bridges and roadside statues ("Oh, blessed Madonna of the hairpin turn, save us...!" she pleads). Such beautiful language and constantly surprising thoughts! ("Christ stopped at Eboli, but I went on..." she writes). I can't wait to go on her next trip.

--Dan Close, The Glory of the Kings


Cindy Ellen Hill lives, writes, gardens, fences and plays fiddle in Vermont, but leaves her heart with her daughter and granddaughter in Piedmonte, Italy. She has previously published two sonnet chapbooks: Wild Earth (Antrim House Press, 2022) and Elegy for the Trees (Kelsay Books 2023). Her full-length poetry collection Love in a Time of Climate Change will be available from Finishing Line Press in the summer of 2024.

Cover and Art: Matt Heywood
Headshot: Kristy Dooley