INTERCEDE: SAINTS FOR CONCERNING OCCASIONS
Jennifer Clark’s fourth poetry collection, INTERCEDE: SAINTS FOR CONCERNING OCCASIONS, presents saints as surprisingly relatable figures—imperfect, flawed, and very much like us. Some are cranky, dour, and humorless, while others are kind, brilliant, and even funny. Through moving poems, stunning illustrations, and Clark’s witty, insightful commentary, the saints in this collection come to life beyond their legendary feats. Rather than focusing on miracles, INTERCEDE pulls back the curtain to reveal the human side of sainthood, inviting readers to explore deeper truths. These saints guide us to unexpected places, pushing us beyond our comfort zones into sacred, unfamiliar landscapes where we catch a glimpse of the divine.
Jennifer Clark’s fourth poetry collection, INTERCEDE: SAINTS FOR CONCERNING OCCASIONS, presents saints as surprisingly relatable figures—imperfect, flawed, and very much like us. Some are cranky, dour, and humorless, while others are kind, brilliant, and even funny. Through moving poems, stunning illustrations, and Clark’s witty, insightful commentary, the saints in this collection come to life beyond their legendary feats. Rather than focusing on miracles, INTERCEDE pulls back the curtain to reveal the human side of sainthood, inviting readers to explore deeper truths. These saints guide us to unexpected places, pushing us beyond our comfort zones into sacred, unfamiliar landscapes where we catch a glimpse of the divine.
Jennifer Clark’s fourth poetry collection, INTERCEDE: SAINTS FOR CONCERNING OCCASIONS, presents saints as surprisingly relatable figures—imperfect, flawed, and very much like us. Some are cranky, dour, and humorless, while others are kind, brilliant, and even funny. Through moving poems, stunning illustrations, and Clark’s witty, insightful commentary, the saints in this collection come to life beyond their legendary feats. Rather than focusing on miracles, INTERCEDE pulls back the curtain to reveal the human side of sainthood, inviting readers to explore deeper truths. These saints guide us to unexpected places, pushing us beyond our comfort zones into sacred, unfamiliar landscapes where we catch a glimpse of the divine.
Praise for INTERCEDE: SAINTS FOR CONCERNING OCCASIONS
However otherworldly you may have found the saints before commencing your pilgrimage to Intercede, you’ll return feeling grounded in their hopelessly human struggles and quirks, doubts and revelations, and messily sacred paths to “glimpsing the Holy.” Writing from a heart as deep as her hagiographical research, Clark draws us into the worlds of saints ranging from Clare of Assisi and St. Joseph to Martin de Porres, patron saint of public schools, and Maria Goretti, one of the youngest saints to be canonized, distressingly, for dying a virgin at the hands of her assaulter. By sharing these lives in the context of her own brushes with the divine, Clark surprises, challenges, and delights, inviting us to “feast on the sweet all around us.”
Tania Runyan, author of A Thousand Vessels, Second Sky, and What Will Soon Take Place
Jennifer Clark’s Intercede: Saints for Concerning Occasions offers us a fresh perspective on the world of Catholic saints. Here you will find saints both familiar and obscure, canonized and uncanonized, recognized and rejected. Using a combination of original poetry, lively commentary, and exquisite illustrations, Clark relates their stories with insight, pathos, and humor, creating nothing less than a new, down-to-earth calendar of saints, perfect for the present day.
Brian C. Wilson, author of The California Days of Ralph Waldo Emerson (2022)
About JENNIFER CLARK
Jennifer Clark is the author of three previous poetry collections: A Beginner’s Guide to Heaven (Unsolicited Press), Necessary Clearings, and Johnny Appleseed: The Slice & Times of John Chapman (both published by Shabda Press). She is also the author of the children’s book What Do You See In Room 21 C? and the co-editor of the anthology, Immigration & Justice For Our Neighbors (both Celery City Books). Her most recent book, Kissing the World Goodbye, ventures into the world of memoir, braiding family tales with recipes. Published by Unsolicited Press, it made their list for “Top Selling Books of 2022.”
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Genre: Poetry
ISBN: 978-1-963115-39-0
Publication Date: May 6, 2025
