Tramp: Poems

Using newspaper accounts and court records from the late 19th and early 20th century, poet Joelle Biele follows three women who left their homes and families to start new lives or to find work. In the process she shares their stories about life on the roads and rails.

Tramp is composed of rich, unusual poems containing quotes from interviews, letters, and printed articles. Intermittently, pages are headlined “Dictionary,” explaining terms in use at the time, and “Newsbreaks,” which are assembled quotes from newspapers.

This truly original collection is by turns heartbreaking and fascinating.