DESCRIPTION

Stories have the power to free us, or to hold us captive. Imagine a Woman is a book about both, and how the retelling of stories we inherit can open a pathway between fear and survival. Organized around four feminine archetypes–the Virgin, the Mother, the Prophet, and the Whore–these poems offer a multi-storied perspective on the many ways a woman is defined, and how femininity is shaped by histories ancient and new. Offering new ways to devote ourselves to the myths, nursery rhymes, fairy tales, and playground songs that captivate our memories and inspire our futures, the collection ignites a sharp and stirring transformation from being silenced to learning how to speak.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dorothy Neagle was born and raised in South Central Kentucky on unceded Cherokee land. She received a BA and MA in Design & Environmental Analysis from Cornell University, and has studied writing at Cornell, NYU, Columbia University, the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College, and the Unterberg Poetry Center. She recently completed a fellowship at Yaddo, and was named a semi-finalist in the 92Y’s Discovery Poetry Contest. She currently lives and writes poetry, memoir, and fiction in Hastings on Hudson, NY, on the traditional lands of the Lenape people. Follow along @sentencesaremyfave

REVIEWS

In its pursuit of truth combined with an odd and wild lyric sway, in its invoking of the oldest myths and tales, and in its trust in personal dreams and prophecies, Dorothy Neagle’s transformative book lives up to its title. These poems burn with imagination and feel as revelatory to the reader as they feel necessary to the poet. Drawing on poetic strategies from incantation to confessionalism, this book proves that “like every great / and terrible thing, the silence also has / a voice.” In Imagine a Woman we witness that voice emerge and catch fire. —Jeanne Marie Beaumont, author of Lessons with Scissors

This is a collection born of woman; of mother; of daughter; of darkness and of light. It takes us by the hand and leads us to ancient, unseen places. We are shown what if means to long and belong; to lose and love; to let go and to hold on, as if our life depended on our grasp. The ancient, folkloric nature of these poems allows us to contemplate death, life, familial grief and inter generational trauma as though they were small, easy things. I am richer for having spent time with its pages. —Kerri ní Dochartaigh, author of Cacophony of Bone

An invitation to savor mystery and clarity. A fierce and generous statement on motherhood, girlhood and personhood that cools and burns. The blood and bones in these poems pulse and break. And the heart beats on. —Kathy Curto, author of Not for Nothing

Neagle asks the reader to imagine a woman as a whole being–not just the sum parts society expects and demands; or the overwrought idea of what a woman has always been made to be in the patriarchal strongholds of language. These poems ring true as a bell. —Catherine Sweeney, winner of the Adrienne Rich Award

YOU'RE INVITED: BOOK LAUNCH FOR IMAGINE A WOMAN BY DOROTHY NEAGLE

Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2026
Time: 7pm
Location: The Good Witch, 134 Southside Avenue, Hastings on Hudson, NY

Thank you for joining us to celebrate the launch of Dorothy Neagle’s new book Imagine a Woman, described as "an invitation to savor mystery and clarity," and "a fierce and generous statement on motherhood, girlhood, and personhood that cools and burns." The launch party will include a reading and Q&A with the author, along with cake, fizzy drinks, and a special guest!

This event is ticketed with a $5.00 gift card to Picture Book. You can use the gift card towards a purchase of the book at the event, or redeem it for a book of your choice at a later date. (Picture Book is located inside HudCo at 145 Palisade Street in Dobbs Ferry, NY.)