Sinkhole, by Paula J. Lambert

Poetry, chapbook, 20 pages, from Bottlecap Features.

Sinkhole is a collection of twelve poems that fully confront the Anthropocene. “The world is on fire. It burns, / quakes, floods. Sinkholes open.” It reminds us that through the worst of what climate disaster brings to us all, personal catastrophes will continue to unfold.

Here, generations of family sandwiched together and struggling to survive pretend that everything’s okay. Wildflowers rise through the landscape offering some measure of bleak hope, but the poet insists, “All is lost.” Only then does she add, “All is love.” In this, readers may find their solace—and answer to the daunting question foremost in all our minds: How, exactly, do we go on?

Paula J. Lambert has published four full-length poetry collections including As If This Did Not Happen Every Day (Sheila-Na-Gig Editions 2024). She has authored six chapbooks, including Uncertainty (The Only Hope We Have) (Bottlecap Press 2023). Lambert is also a literary translator, small press publisher, and visual artist. Her work has been supported by the Ohio Arts Council, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, and the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. Her mentorship has been recognized by PEN America. A strong supporter of the intersection of poetry and science, she founded the Ohio Sun & Moon Poetry Festival now hosted by the Ohio Poetry Association. She lives in Columbus with her husband, Dr. Michael Perkins, a philosopher and technologist. More at www.paulajlambert.com.