Sun Rising into Storm

poems shine close devotion's light on mystery, enigma, on any talisman cherished for meaning. Bertolino finds an object, a moment, a rich

confusion and makes it useful, revelatory, and intimate. Read this book to savor his generous mind embracing the disparate offerings of daily life,

and to find in your own circumference of attention a chance for small and precious miracles."

-Kim Stafford, author of Singer Come from Afar and Oregon Poet Laureate Emeritus




"Replete with James Bertolino's signature dazzle and scope, Sun Rising into Storm gives us poems on the move, poems making their contribution

to 'the great wave of being, ' poems in which 'the life-bearing water always // finds its way.' Bertolino's work makes its way to our very core.

Keeping company with him in these pages, we find that 'Columbine and rain, azalea /and sunrise, / the world reaches / with two hands, two wings' to welcome us into its embrace."

-Paulann Petersen, author of One Small Sun and Oregon Poet Laureate Emerita




"Bertolino's new collection is a luminous offering of meditations and reflections. In Sun Rising into Storm, we discover that ordinary life, when

observed through the lens of an exceptional poet, is filled with the radiance and tumult of dawn emerging to dispel the darkness of ominous

skies. Masterfully wrought, these poems impart Bertolino's thoughts with an intimacy and generosity that gives the effect of being caught eavesdropping on his mind, only to be graciously invited in to listen."

-Rena Priest, American Book Award winning author of Patriarchy Blues and Washington State Poet Laureate