Author's note from book:
Catgut is a place on the New England coast. I took its name from a piece of treacherous water in another part of the world, because the name of yet another piece of bad water in that area was given to the worst (best) part of the town I grew up in. Despite this elaborate disguise, anyone who grew up in my town will recognize everything in Catgut. Meanwhile, people who live there now should be safe from me in their "restoration".
----------------------------------------------------------------
Prenumbered label used for registration.

Enjoyable selection of poems. Many of them deal with the author's feelings after moving away from Catgut following her parents' divorce, and how she missed her childhood home. A particularly moving one, "perdu", begins:

' "Don't cry," she said.
Why does everyone say, "Don't cry"?
By the time you cry, you must and should.'
----------------
Well said (asked!).

However, my two favorites are on the lighter side, touching on tourism (and the Cape Ann frozen fish industry; company shall remain nameless ;-):
CATGUT II [first stanza]
In Catgut, where the tourists come,
Every line of the place is plumb.
Whatever sagged has been jerked up straight,
Bolted, buttered with painter's putty.
And spruced with white and one of the eight
Authentic approved-by-committee hues.
(Within some strictures you get to choose.)
Nothing is sooty or grotty.

Here's my absolute favorite:

SEA CHANGE
Now Catgut children feast on Fish
Sticks - that skinless, finless treat
Milled from slabs of unspecied sorts
Then painted something brown that must,
To someone, have resembled crust.
No dad need troll a net, no mother
Dip and bread, and all that bother.
They zap their own. Just heat and eat.

For birthday parties, grand occasions,
They go to new chain restaurants,
Partake of rubberized crustaceans
And (what the kids like best) that thing
On clams, call it the arm or leg, the dangle
Clotted with cornflakes in a deep-fried tangle.
(The clam, of course, has been thrown away.)
These places know what the customer wants.
-------------------------
These two that I've quoted happen to have a rhyme scheme, but most are free-form. All are delightful!

I just learned that Ms. Pedrick passed away in 2006, three years after this was published. There is a poetry prize named in her honor.

In the bank of America ATM on Church St. Hope the finder enjoys it!

Released for September Sapphire Challenge hosted by Plum-crazy.

Released for You're Such an Animal Release Challenge hosted by Secretariat, for the embedded "cat".

DEAR FINDER,

Welcome to BookCrossing!

Please make a journal entry so we know this book has found a new home.You don't need to join BookCrossing and you can remain completely anonymous. However, we encourage you to join so that you can follow this book's future travels. (You’ll receive an email anytime someone makes a journal entry). It's fun, free, and confidential. If you decide to join, consider listing eponine38 as referring you.

Take your time reading the book, and after you finish, please make another journal entry to record your thoughts about it. This book is now yours, and you can keep it if you choose, though we would love for you to share it. If you pass it along, please make a release note to let others know where you left it “in the wild”, or a journal entry if you gave/sent it to a known person.

I hope you enjoy the book!