The Heiress/Ghost Acres
In her most intimate poetry collection yet, Lightsey Darst considers the many facets of maternal power and whether it might guide us toward healing in the wake of history’s horrors.
In the nebulous space between collective and autobiographical memory lies family memory—the rituals and routines, places and plants, that bind us to the generations before. In The Heiress/Ghost Acres, Lightsey Darst examines her Southern ancestry and the legacy of white womanhood. As she navigates pandemic isolation and political upheaval, Darst reflects on how history—familial and national—shapes parenting, and interrogates that history in search of more ethical, transformative ways to mother. The Heiress/Ghost Acres points toward a tenable and connected future, one that acknowledges past evils while finding present, potent ways for love to counter violence.
Lightsey Darst has published three previous books of poetry with Coffee House Press, including Find the Girl, which was awarded a Minnesota Book Award for Poetry. She is the recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, one for dance criticism and one for poetry. She lives in Durham, North Carolina, with her family.
