The Birth of a Widow: Collected Poems Paperback – February 24, 2026

Kathie Giorgio captures so many aspects of widowhood, and indeed loss in general, in this deeply moving and imaginatively written collection. She examines the sudden and cruel loss of her husband in meticulous detail including the loneliness, loss of identity, and the frustrating search for meaning. I was brought back to my own early days of widowhood but it was a healing journey accompanied by a dear friend who really understands what it feels like. A stunning read for those grappling with loss.—Debbie Weiss, author, Available As Is: A Midlife Widow’s Search for LoveThe Birth of a Widow is utterly shattering portrait of the sudden loss of a husband and a shared life that will speak to anyone who has ever loved or lost a loved one. In these poems of electric honesty, Giorgio explores how she struggles to survive her first year as a widow, using all her wisdom, humor, anger, to cross the vast sea of grief to the other shore, bringing us — wiser, too — along with her.—Jesse Lee Kercheval, author, I Want To Tell YouFrom the opening lines of Kathie Giorgio’s moving new poetry collection, The Birth of a Widow, the reader knows how the story ends, “When I was here a year ago / my husband was still alive.” And yet, we hang on to every word as Kathie tells her story from the beginning. Like all births, there’s a measured and natural taking on of this new creation. The reader sees and feels this transformation; we witness the layering and releasing, the breaths of this struggle. The familiar takes on new hues when filtered through a widow’s lens, with even a lone hibiscus becoming a metaphor. Giorgio introduces us to Michael, and their love story continues even as the widow emerges.—Kim Blum-Hyclak, author, In The Garden Of Life And Death Read more