Flatlands

Flatlands, Ruth's first full-length poetry collection, explores how her perspective has been indelibly shaped by her state of birth, Nebraska. "Some writers approach the Nebraska plains as a big, empty other into which they may imagine. I understand the appeal of that mythology. But in Ruth Williams gorgeous new collection, Flatlands, the landscape is as alive as the plains truly are, and serves as both a generating place and quixotic companion to Williams’ s subtle, precise speaker. Throughout the poems, Williams images are beautifully wrought and full of surprises: a salmon being filleted opens like “ a girl’ s coral dress come undone and the “ night heat” of spent fireworks sleeps in the hands of children who are “ ready to knock.” I love this book-it’ s musical syncopation, the tight, clean transparency of the poems’ lines. I think Willa Cather, the collection’ s genius loci, would admire Williams’ s work, recognizing its fundamental truthfulness. Which is about the highest compliment I have to give." -Erin Belieu, Author of Slant Six, Co-founder, VIDA: Women in Literary Arts

Ruth Williams is the author of Flatlands, a full-length collection of poetry, as well as two poetry chapbooks. Her poetry has appeared in Michigan Quarterly Review, jubilat, Pleiades, and Third Coast. Ruth holds a PhD in English and Comparative Literature from the University of Cincinnati and an MFA in Creative Writing, Poetry from Eastern Washington University; currently, she is an Associate Professor of English at William Jewell College where she teaches workshops in poetry and creative nonfiction as well as courses in American, women's, and ethnic literature.