Welcome to the December 2017 edition of our monthly Blue Heron Speaks Feature! We are absolutely delighted to shine a spotlight on the poetry of author, Chris Abbate. In Chris Abbate’s new collection, Talk About God (Main Street Rag, September 2017), we find a depth of faith in everyday moments. It is found in family conversations over dinner and in thankfulness for small things, “Ma thanked Jesus/when she found her keys/or remembered the right amount of flour.” These poems remind us of how miraculous our lives are. Abbate shows us that every, breathing moment offers gifts, “the sunlight in her kitchen,/her husband’s head on the pillow.” Through memory and beautiful, detailed images, Chris Abbate makes the world new again for us, and we are replenished.

Visit the Blue Heron Speaks Featured Author page of our site to read 3 sample poems and to learn more about Chris Abbate’s new collection.

Chris Abbate’s poetry has appeared in Chagrin River Review, Blue Heron Review, and Comstock Review, among other journals. He has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and a Best of the Net award, and has received awards in several poetry contests. Chris’ debut book of poetry, Talk About God, (Main Street Rag, September 2017) pays tribute to growing up and to family, while exploring the gray areas and ragged edges of religious experience. He has a B.A. in English from Gordon College (Wenham, MA) and an M.A. in English from Southern Connecticut State University. A native of Hartford, CT, Chris resides in Holly Springs, NC with his wife and their papillon, Louis. He works as a programmer analyst for clinical trials and volunteers coaching youth in The First Tee golf program. For more information and to order Talk About God, visit www.chrisabbate.com.