Critical Commentary
“Touch of Grace is Nielson’s first collection of poetry. These are fine poems! They are about being challenged by life, by relationships, by the dark clutter surrounding us that daily threatens to suck the last tiny light out of our bodies. But even in the midst of this, these poems are also about rediscovering light, finding grace in decay, in weathered barns, in driveways, in the faint smell of a waitress from Michigan. —James Tipton, winner of the 1999 Colorado Book Award for Letters from a Stranger Touch of Grace is Craig Nielson’s vision quest...his spiritual journey from darkness to light.”
- (David Lee, 2001, Poet Laureate of Utah and author of So Quietly the Earth)
“This book opens out, like a bird’s wings seeking lift—that’s the only way to describe the experience of reading these poems. You’ll smell soil, snow, sagebrush, and river bottom. You’ll dodge drunk hunters on their muddy ATVs and listen alongside the ghost of Ed Abbey for the “language of stone in moonlight.” Grace comes with each page, and when you close the back cover, sun burnt and thirsty, you’ll have a heart full of song, “addicted to the sweetness of things.” Here’s a remarkable new voice from the high mountain valleys of Colorado. Read this book with your boots on.”
- (Chris Ransick, author of Never Summer, the 2003 Colorado Book Award for Poetry, and A Return to Emptiness)
“Craig Nielson lets his life speak—honestly and with plenty of passion. He’s not afraid to be angry, he’s not afraid to be vulnerable, and he’s not afraid to explore the topography of love. These poems map out the territories that reflect his Western roots. He celebrates empty two-lanes, favorite trails, and wild places. And he gives thanks for the moments of grace he finds there.”
- (Peter Anderson, editor, Pilgrimage Magazine, poetry editor, Mountain Gazette, and author of First Church of the Higher Elevataions: Mountains, Prayer, and Presence)
