Paddle to Paddle

“Chapin’s masterful debut poetry collection traces the arc of a lifetime-growing up in a violent household, teenage rebellion, parenthood, and reconvening with an estranged mother…Dealing with the darkest of issues including domestic violence, addiction, and rape, this collection can be emotionally challenging. Chapin is nonetheless an alarmingly skilled poet whose devastatingly powerful debut demands a cover-to-cover read in one sitting. Acutely observant writing; unsettling and life-affirming in equal measure.” Kirkus Review”Offering readers a brutally honest mirror…Chapin…has channeled her ample wisdom and experience into a raw display of truth-telling and wise insight…there is a great deal of specificity in the poems; these verses are not meant to be esoteric or riddled with allusions. The words Chapin uses are raw, direct, and incisive, and she is unafraid of revealing biases and petty judgments, with the poet never claiming to sit atop an ivory tower of artistic or personal authority. These poems get down in the mud and madness of life… Paddle to Paddle is eclectic and electric, filled with taboos and secrets, perfect for reflective consumption that acts as a form of therapy, as well as a work of poetic artistry.” Self-Publishing Review “Haunting and beautifully written, Paddle to Paddle is an engaging, thought-provoking, and powerful read, which is why I rate it 4 out of 4 stars” Online Book Review”Thoughtful and thought provoking, deftly crafted, and inherently compelling, the free verse poetry comprising Lois Chapin’s “Paddle to Paddle” will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. An extraordinary literary talent whose work is unreservedly recommended” Midwest Book ReviewLois Chapin is an award-winning poet (National League of American Pen Woman) who has been published in ONTHEBUS, I’ll Have Wednesdays, and other literary anthologies. She is a member of the Los Angeles Writers and Poets Collective. Chapin is a writer and therapist in California who spends her down time racing outrigger canoes on the Pacific Ocean