RONNA BLOOM is the author of four books of poetry, most recently, Permiso (Pedlar Press, 2009), shortlisted for the Pat Lowther Award. Her poems have been translated into Spanish and Bengali and broadcast on CBC Radio. Her work appeared in "Poetry is Public is Poetry," an initiative of Toronto Poet Laureate Dionne Brand, which showcases and celebrates the work of Canadian poets to help transform Toronto's public realm into a forum for the written word. Bloom works as a writing teacher and psychotherapist. She has led workshops across Canada and abroad, and currently is Poet in Community at the University of Toronto. www.ronnabloom.com

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"There is much life in Ronna Bloom's impressive first collection, Fear of the Ride; much to bless and mourn. This is a strong and original new voice, whether Bloom is speaking of the 'long longing' that loss produces, or of the heart's absurd demand, Bloom's command of rhetoric and cadence, her radical emotional honesty, and blunt, deep humour work to create a fearless and engaging poetry." -Rhea Tregebov "Few poets write of grief and love with such simple elegance and an impressive depth. Ronna Bloom writes clear and hard about what hurts, and gives us hope."-Susan Musgrave "Ronna Bloom['s work is] immediately and continuously both attractive and impressive. The poems [are] full of high comedy and profound seriousness, mostly at the same time, and to my ear their rhythms [are] consistently superb... an unusually fine collection."-George Johnston