Ignite’s unflinchingly honest poems tell the story of a broken emotional and physical relationship between a man and a woman, healed by a very physical process of self-discovery, which is sparked by the woman’s recovery of desire in a renewed connection between body, soul and earth. The language, sparse and evocative, almost disappears to get beneath the intellect, to create an intimacy with the reader, a collective energy, a human experience that we all share.
Born and raised in Montreal, Rona Shaffran lives in Ottawa. She is a Board member and Co-Director of the Tree Reading Series, one of Canada's longest running poetry series, and also organizes its Master Poetry Workshops. Ignite is her first published book of poetry. She has chaired the boards and committees of many community non-profit organizations. Rona Shaffran is a graduate of Humber’s School for Writers and the Banff Writing Studio. Her poems have appeared in Canadian literary journals, including Vallum, in a chapbook, which was distributed in Australia and Canada, and in several collaborative chapbooks. She has won Honourable Mention in the John Newlove Poetry Award. Recently retired from the federal government, she lives with her husband, Brian Tannenbaum, also retired, who is an actor, and with their adorable golden retriever. Rona Shaffran now devotes her time to writing and to travel, and is at work on a second manuscript that includes both poetry and prose.