"If We Speak of Hope, then Off-Guard Is Where to Be." Shelley Townsend-Hudson's previous books dealt with childhood (When I Got Drunk with My Mother) and parenting (When I Smoked Pot with My Daughter); now, in this third volume, Whatever You Love You Are, she writes about the rest of life, where, as she says, "The mind, like fresh blank pages, writes itself anew each day." From simple things like buying new glasses ("Scales fell from my eyes and everything was imagery") to momentous issues like sorrow and depression ("Even Joseph in the well caught the smell of jasmine"), these poems reflect the compelling lived experiences we all face. "Shelley's poems taught me how to read poetry. She opened the door and showed me where to look." Celia Flock-award-winning artist and animal lover (www.celiaflockstudio.com) Shelley Townsend-Hudson is a writer, musician, and dancer who has written three books and numerous chapbooks. She splits her time between Old Salem, North Carolina, and Ada, Michigan (depending on the weather).