Small Acts of Purpose

In her third collection from Interactive Press, E. A. Gleeson casts her poetic eye as far afield as Belfast or as close to home as her own mortality. In an assured but always personal voice, she addresses the everyday, the exotic and even the taboo with immersive detail, challenging the reader to reflect on the elemental issues of modern existence.



In these poems of witness and empathy, E. A. Gleeson gives voice to the suffering and enduring spirits of people across the world. Her voice is typically touching and profound, fused with a dry humour that celebrates the personal and the places that connect us. She is a master of the local and her poems zing like a bell rung. Her language is rich and playful, her imagery memorable and heart-felt. Here is a poet unafraid to ask the right questions.

– Brendan Ryan


Inquisitive, philosophical, with a sly sense of humour and splashes of sharp imagery, E. A. Gleeson’s main subject is her self, or should I say, “the self” in the world. This world that threatens and harms. This world that loves and delights.    

– Mike Ladd