"The Alleluia Tree" by Christine Swanberg

"Christine Swanberg examines every situation with eyes peeled for signs of resurrection and hope. She discusses life’s tragedies and hardships with unflinching, clear-eyed honesty, but bravely holds out for the glimmer of redemption and the promise of restored life. Whether writing about post-Katrina New Orleans or the winter-starved birds of the title poem, Swanberg puts every detail in place through fresh imagery and elegant language, the reader elevated above the gloom and grit by a spiritual vision further enhanced by a true appreciation of the sensory treasures that surround us." Nancy Susanna Breen – Poet, editor, and blogger at Nudged2Write.com Author Bio: Christine Swanberg is Rockford's Inaugural Poet Laureate and author of several books and has had over 300 poems published in various books and journals. Her work has appeared in over sixty literary journals. She appears in a wide range of poetry anthologies. She has a long list of poetry awards and has been an editor for various presses and magazines. She has lead a full literary life. She has had several residencies in Port Townsend, WA. She is a regular workshop leader at The Clearing, in Door County, Wisconsin. Christine holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin, Rockford College and Northern Illinois University. She had a thirty year teaching career. She has a gallery in her home, The Prints and the Poet, where she has workshops, readings, and displays the work of her photographer husband, Jeffrey Swanberg.