’Til the Well Runs Dry

Joe’s poems shine with appreciation and affection for the people and animals that make up his world-a world which does not stop surprising him with its wonders. Lyrical and composed with a storyteller’s flair, these poems invite us to consider and re-consider our own lives, to see ourselves within history both personal and shared, and to approach the complexities of relationships with tenderness and care. Readers will encounter a fine mind and a true heart on every page of this beautifully-illustrated collection, along with pleasure, humor, and vitality.

-Kate Chadbourne, author of A November Visit

Joseph Leary’s book, ’Til the Well Runs Dry is filled with the deep and sustaining waters of everyday life. There is nothing ’dry’ about Leary’s poems, or his voice. ’Til the Well Runs Dry is a celebration of loving the details of life and the people that fill up that life. These poems are delicious and life affirming and you will never go thirsty when reading this book; and you will always be hungry for more.

-Matthew Lippman, author of We Are All Sleeping with Our Sneakers On

In a world where we are more connected than ever, but where we seem to know ourselves and our neighbors hardly at all. Joe Leary’s first published volume of poetry provides a delightful and important alternative. He reminds us of the beauty and power of poetry to show us who we are and what matters. His little book of free verse reveals a man whose mind, heart, and soul engage human experience with gratitude and wonder. Leary’s images are poignant and his laments terse. ’Til the Well Runs Dry is a little jewel of a book, with charming illustrations by Jack Leary, the poet’s brother.

-Rev. Jerome Joseph Day, O.S.B., Ph.D. (McGill) is a Benedictine priest of Saint Anselm Abbey and teaches English and communication studies at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH

In this wonderful book of poems, Joe Leary exhibits a clear and profound affection for life. His poems openly adore his subjects while they also interrogate the passage of time and the cruelties of life, and you leave these pages enlivened by Leary’s appreciation for what he has experienced. This book is a gem and I’m grateful to have read it.

-Annie Hartnett, author of Rabbit Cake and Unlikely Animals