Reminding ourselves that you’re still living even while stopping to sit in the observance, in the noticing, and the stillness. A steadying occurs, and an appreciation for humanity starts to take root.
We are all in this together. There is no winner, and there is no race.
Rewiring our minds
to value the quiet.
in the quiet
This collection is an exploration of the human experience. Taking notice of the vivid, endearing and ordinary moments that give us the hope we need in humanity, if we take the time to appreciate the smaller gestures we find when we’re still and quiet.
who is this book for?
Those who need validation to slow down and be still, if only to observe humanity and feel inspired by its tenderness. Reminding us that productivity can wait.
sneak peak
in the quiet
Hours pass, reading and sitting.
I stand up and get out of the burnt
orange tweed chair. I look behind
and see the indents of my shapely body.
A heaviness of nothing left in its place. For a split second
I regret being there for so long. Leaving
evidence of my lack of productivity. I question my life.
In the second following, a voice from the simpler part of me
- the more understanding side, a kinder version
practiced on everyone else - I remind myself
that even then there is value in doing nothing.
Praise for
In the Quiet
“Much like her stunning collections The Mundane & Nostalgia, Melissa Elder's In the Quiet captures the breathtaking beauty of the ordinary moment. With spare language and luminous lines, these poems explore love and longing while reminding us that nothing here is permanent, which is exactly why it's sacred. Each poem arrives like a postcard from a place you want to travel back to—vivid and inviting, delivering more feeling than the page can accommodate.” –LIZ ALTERMAN bestselling author of psychological thrillers The Perfect Neighborhood, You’ll Be Sorry, and Different Type of Poison
"In her new astounding collection, Elder contemplates the human experience in all its juxtaposition splendor: the bittersweet realities of motherhood, our pull to live to the fullest while also yearning for the simplicities of a quieter life, our desire and capacity for love despite the inescapable flipside of grief. Poignant, tender, and hopeful even at its darkest, IN THE QUIET lingers long after its last breath and proves Elder is a star on the rise with an unforgettable, singular voice." –LEE KELLY bestselling author of City of Savages, co-author of The Midnight Show, With Regrets, and Starlets
“Melissa Elder’s third collection traverses the map of one woman’s life, from small details—ladybugs, window streaks, a neighbor’s lamp in the night—to larger themes of friendship, motherhood, marriage, faith, and community. Candid, even conversational, these poems invite the reader to observe, grieve, and celebrate the “delicate mess” of midlife. In the Quiet reflects with generosity on what it means to live attentively in a complicated world.” –EMILY PATTERSON author of The Birth of Undoing
“A tender invitation to bear witness to life, and love. It’s all poetry, indeed.”
–KATE OLIVER author of Modern Caravan