Oct 26 2022 25 mins
This is a conversation with Sarah Carson about her book of poems, How to Baptize a Child, in Flint, MI. Carson's poems are a jarring portrayal of life in a declining, once mighty, and still proud American rustbelt town, Flint, Michigan.
"How to Baptize a Child in Flint, Michigan" is a heartwarming and thought-provoking exploration of faith, family, and community in the midst of challenging circumstances.
The book tells the story of a young mother, Sarah, who is struggling to raise her child in the midst of the Flint water crisis. As she navigates the complexities of living in a city with contaminated water, Sarah turns to her faith as a source of hope and strength.
One of the book's most powerful aspects is how Carson portrays Sarah's faith as an active and essential part of her life. She doesn't shy away from the challenges of raising a child in a difficult environment but instead leans into her faith as a source of resilience and strength. This is particularly poignant as Sarah grapples with the decision of whether or not to baptize her child in the midst of such uncertain and tumultuous times.
Ultimately, "How to Baptize a Child in Flint, Michigan" is a profoundly moving and thought-provoking exploration of faith, family, and community in the face of difficult circumstances. Carson's writing is engaging and heartfelt, and her portrayal of Sarah's journey is inspiring and relatable. This is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the role of faith in times of crisis.
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This book won the 2022 Lexi Rudnitsky Editors Choice Award, a poetry collection that portrays quintessentially American struggles and hopes.
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Carson peeks inside the windows of Flint's working class with a searing indictment of a society responsible for the ghastly moral failures resulting in massive unemployment and poisoned water.
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Sarah Carson was born in Flint, Michigan. She now lives in East Lansing, Michigan, with her daughter and two dogs, who make a guest appearance on the podcast. After college, she spent ten years working with literary organizations in Chicago, including the Poetry Foundation and Switchback Books.
Sarah is the author of two prose poetry collections, Buick City (Mayapple Press, 2015) and Poems in which You Die (BatCat Press), as well as the forthcoming How to Baptize a Child in Flint, Michigan (Persea Books, Nov 1, 2022). Her poetry and other writing have appeared in Diagram, Brevity, Guernica, the Minnesota Review, and others. You can read more of her work at stuffsarahwrote.com
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This book of poetry is available at the following retailers:
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