Because, as history has shown, they are so often erased, preserving the stories of the foremothers may be the ultimate feminist act. Laura Madeline Wiseman’s Unclose the Door performs artistic homage to a character from the poet’s own family tree—suffragist, lecturer, and inventor Matilda Fletcher—by giving her voice in this collection. Following the tough, thoughtful Matilda through intimacy, loss, and activism, Wiseman packs these poems with historical detail and insights into Fletcher’s personal interactions—and adventures—in elegant, compelling poetic language.
– Lisa Lewis
