The Scarred Peach Is the Sweetest

Offering a careful balance of hope and rage, The Scarred Peach Is the Sweetest explores and illuminates the beauty in every relationship and interaction with the natural world around us. With Denise Levertov’s precision, Kathie-Louise Clarke uncovers the mysteriousness of truths such as the burden of verdigris and the remains of a snow-capped goddess. Clarke’s poems mesmerize us with imagery, effortlessly weaving together tales of both modern and old worlds, creating an entirely new and rich topography to be explored. From tea-cups holding marmalade to the texture of packing peanuts, this debut collection gently reminds us that in everything we can find love—if we choose.

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About the Poet:

Kathie-Louise Clarke is a British-raised writer, artist, and Counseling Psychology MA student. She is inspired to create pieces that interrogate and illuminate the human condition, with a focus on love, loss and the beauty of the natural world.

Since moving to California over a decade ago, Kathie-Louise has served in numerous volunteer capacities, taught herself Printmaking, started a business selling her art work, taught Printmaking classes, and returned to writing. She is part of the Chapbook Chamber Collective, a small group of poets who work collaboratively to support one another, and has been a regular host of weekly virtual Poetry Connected meetings (Monday Night Poetry Lounge) on Meetup.

Her poetry appears or is forthcoming in various journals including Seaside Gothic, The Brussels Review, The Orchards Poetry Journal, and The Orange & Bee. This collection was shortlisted for the Longleaf Press Poetry Book prize.