The Orchard Street Press is pleased to announce the release of Almost Happy an exciting new poetry chapbook by Bob Wickless of Reidsville, North Carolina.

Regarding the poetry of Bob Wickless, the late Reed Whittemore (poet, editor, critic, and twice Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress) wrote: "he has a natural feeling for the necessary ease of poetry, and can deal with the commonplace in what appears to be a commonplace way when he is not really being commonplace at all. He is in other words a sophisticate of the commonplace, and a writer with a quite distinctive voice."
- Reed Whittemore

"Bob Wickless is an astute observer of ordinary scenes and a bright reflector who illuminates how they matter...Humor and wit abound in these lovely, plain-spoken poems...and they are tinged with darkness, the same way 'In rain dark gets darker.' Bob Wickless likes to 'travel deep in the midst of things,' and he makes a marvelous guide and companion in the journey we all share."
- John Phillip Drury Author of Sea Level Rising

"Bob Wickless is the real deal, and the poems in Almost Happy prove this without a doubt. Looking back at life and lessons learned along the way, Wickless reflects on moments of magic, of discovery, of simple beauty, whether it' s a memory of crabbing, of encountering moss on a tree, of catching fireflies. Make no mistake, these are not simple, nostalgic poems but funny, smart, and sometimes laced with a touch of irony. All true art shines a light on our world and reminds us we are alive. The poems in Almost Happy will remind you of this and much more."
- Steve Cushman Author of How Birds Fly, Winner, 2018 Lena Shull Book Award

About the Author:

Bob Wickless was born in Frederick, Maryland and attended the public schools there. He received a BA in English from the University of Maryland where he won the Manning Prize for Creative Arts. He earned his Master's from Johns Hopkins. His poetry has appeared in many journals, including: American Scholar, Shenandoah, Poetry, and Antioch Review. This June, he won the 2020 Malovrh-Fenlon Poetry Prize from The Orchard Street Press. Bob has held dozens of jobs from laborer and beer truck driver to a federal jobs program director. He retired as Personnel Director for a large, urban police department and now resides in Reidsville, North Carolina.

Almost Happy is available for $12 from The Orchard Street Press; P.O. Box 280; Gates Mills, Ohio 44040 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. orchpress.com