The poems in Nancy Dembowski's second collection are a series of tender, yet slightly morbid epistles written for the purpose of saying good-bye to a relationship, lifestyle or country. Underscored by a tone of resignation, the poems come alive in flashes of angry revenge — bordering on the absurd — together with tenderness and joy. Dembowski's poems, while written in a traditional Canadian story-telling manner, scratch the surface of the underbelly of America's dysfunction. This is the voice of an immigrant lost and alone somewhere between an urban trailer park in the deep south and a Tory election office in Ontario. Only The Ghost Has Lasted has the colour and texture of a David Lynch film. The dream / nightmare-like scenes are dense and compelling, with image upon image bombarding and forcing the reader along a narrative road with surprising twists and turns. Dembowski's poems smoothly carry the strength of her haunting performances to the page.

Nancy Dembowski was born in Cleveland, Ohio. She is the publisher of Plus Zero. Her work has been widely published and anthologized across North America. Her first book of poetry, Ninety-seven Posts with the Heads of Dead Men (Coach House), was published to critical acclaim in 1998. Her second collection, Only The Ghost Has Lasted (Insomniac, 2000) focuses on Nancy’s lyrical poetry. She lives in Toronto with her two children.

Nancy Dembowski's profile page