The poems in this collection are a voyage of self-discovery. They are poems of disclosure, of exposure, of allowing one's self to be vulnerable, of telling truths. The poet touches upon myriad themes such as bird-watching, illness, accidents--but through all of these, she examines the complexity of human feeling and relationships. These relationships can be familial or romantic, and as such, poems explore the poet's relationship with her mother and sister as well as with her husband and, at times, her children. Engagement Calendar documents a personal journey through many decades; it is a book about the territory of family life, and it speaks to the many experiences that make up an individual's life with rich insights, humour and the occasional cynicism that comes from having seen so much.

Mary Rutherford worked for many years as a research editor for Canadian authors Pierre Berton, Kenneth Bagnell and Jack Batten. Upon retirement, she found a new love - poetry - and began attending writing workshops. Her poetry was shortlisted in the CBC Literary Awards competition in 2005 and has been published in several Canadian journals. Engagement Calendar is her first published collection of poetry. She lives with her husband in Toronto.

Mary Rutherford's profile page

"It's 's not an understatement to say that Engagement Calendar is a life's work. In these intense and shining elegies Mary Rutherford explores love, friendship, aging and nature with a birder's searching eye and a rebel's savage heart. With her insight, candor, and psychological depth, she proves the adage late bloom, best bloom." - Molly Peacock"Mary Rutherford's breakthrough collection, Engagement Calendar, is a powerful book of expansive and accessible poems that are both personally harrowing and redeeming. They signal the arrival of a voice that has taken far too long to be heard in our literature." - Bruce Meyer"In rich, honest words Mary Rutherford touches myriad aspects of living--love of nature, the past, mortality, loss & grief--with openness, courage and compassion. In one poem she asks: 'What words do I need to open the sky?' This collection is her answer, poems to be read & reread, the expression of a beautiful & wild-flowering mind." - James Clarke"Mary Rutherford's command of rhythm, structure, and line goes beyond subject matter. Her mastery of free verse comes resonantly close to the traditions of English meter." - A. F. Moritz