Andrews, Courtney Marie: Old Monarch

Some people are like butterflies-solitary by nature, on a search for somewhere.  Songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews presents her first poetry collection."This collection is relatable not because Andrews’ experiences, family circumstances, or geographical influences are necessarily common, but because she places her experience(s) so close to us—in relation to the reader, in skin-to-skin proximity. Storytelling is a craft long perfected by musicians, matriarchs, heroes.  Old Monarch very much taps into the folklores of the American frontier, but its motivation diverges from these stereotypically male-driven stories...the stories being told in this collection are not of victory, conquest or horror, but of self-discovery and growth—more pedagogical in nature than as entertainment. As the protagonist and narrator, Andrews charts her life and the lineage of women and loved ones who shaped her, mixing the storyteller tone with that of the oracle." (Cleveland Book Review)