Poetry’s Appeal: Fresh Water Press Announces Forthcoming Collection
Phases of the Wayward Moon by Tracey Ludvik: Forthcoming September 2026
Some of you may wonder why the Fresh Water Press publishes poetry, the least remunerative genre of literature. The answer is because poetry is powerful. It tells the truth in the way it observes and reflects upon the things of the earth, the behavior of humans, animals, sea, and sky. Poetry tells stories, rejoices in language, plays with sounds, rhythms, voices. It refreshes our ability to see and hear. Its words can be considered symbolically. In that way it resembles sacred scripture: the Gospel of John, or the Song of Songs. Poetry speaks from the heart. Some poetry lasts for centuries: think of the poets Sappho, LiBai, Homer, and the unnamed author of Beowulf. Poetry can require adherence to a rigid form of syllables, lines, stresses, and counts, or it can break over the page like a waterfall breaks over a rocky ledge, exhibiting wide, eccentric spaces between letters and words. Poetry is wildly creative; it demands close attention. The smaller and simpler it is, the more difficult it can be to understand. Think haiku. And it can be a lifelong passion for anyone who lets it enter their life.
What is the value of poetry? It’s a value like knowledge or love. It’s not material, it can’t be possessed, but if you have it, you are blessed. It once seemed like a sparkling jewel to me, something beautiful that wowed. But now I think of it as a key that unlocks the truth. I want a poem to enchant and move me, yes, but also show me something real. Are you willing to give poetry a try?
April is National Poetry Month! And to celebrate, the Fresh Water Press is bringing back an open mic reading at The Nook Bookstore on Thursday, April 9 at 211 North 9th Street. Beginning at 6 p.m., you can sign up to read, then visit with other poets and writers while enjoying one of the Nook’s signature mocktails. The open mic will begin at 6:30 p.m.
Anyone who attended our 2025 readings will remember the excitement and special feeling in the room as one poet after another shared their work. Poet Muriel Rukeyser wrote in The Life of Poetry that, “The work that a poem does is a transfer of human energy.” Later, Rukeyser defines this energy as human consciousness. How exhilarating it is to be in a room when that happens. Curious? Join us!
—Peggy Turnbull, Cofounder and Poetry Editor
About Phases of the Wayward Moon
The Fresh Water Press editorial team chose Tracey Ludvik’s Phases of the Wayward Moon for our 2026 poetry book. We were impressed by Ludvik’s rich command of imagery and the musical elements of her language. Because the poems included were written and assembled over decades, her themes are profound, and include power, violence, love, and family. The book is arranged into three parts: Hungry Moon, Manic Moon, and Winter Moon. Each phase represents a different aspect of Ludvik’s identity and her relationship within the social system she lives in. Her poems move gracefully from Ladysmith to Lame Deer, from #MeToo to a Michigan gale. Her work challenges, intrigues, and enlarges the reader.
Phases of the Wayward Moon is scheduled for publication in September 2026.
About the Author
Originally from Ladysmith, Wisconsin, Tracey Ludvik found her voice through writing poetry as a teen. An adventurous spirit and thirst for knowledge called her first to Milwaukee, where she studied at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, then to the Oregon Valley, where she completed a bachelor’s degree in English at the University of Oregon and a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from Oregon State University. Tracey has taught sociology coursework in Oregon and at Lakeshore College in Cleveland, Wisconsin. Her first poetry book, Butterfly (LitMedia, 2023), acknowledges her connection to the Ojibwe culture. Her poem Starpower was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2019. Last year, Auschwitz 2004…, took first place in Lakeland University’s annual poetry contest. Tracey reads her work regularly at Paradigm Coffee and Music.
The Author’s Connection to the Lakeshore
The shore and open water of Lake Michigan have always been my happy place as well as a space to find solace and sanity. I can put my troubles into perspective against the backdrop of seemingly endless water and the consoling rhythm of lapping waves. My happiest days as a child were spent with my family on our cabin cruiser, which was harbored at Two Rivers, and taking day trips in it or relaxing as my dad and brother fished. Fast-forward to a traumatic brain injury that left me significantly blind then the death of my partner and caregiver. That I survived was one of many miracles in my often magical life. It brought me to Sheboygan, where I had often vacationed. Besides natural beauty, I sought a talented group of writers and artists and have found inspiration and friendship here among other creatives.
Poem from the Collection
Jaguar
By Tracey Ludvik
Mexicans killed Chinese
in Los Mochis
panic attacks
suppressed memories
but love sees no boundary
Jaguar is your mask
city of angels your home
you work the prisons
and fight the wind
I am the island
that is your home
where your voice hurls
like hot granite
burning to ash
then drifts from
your memory
until the winds
whip up again