Customer Reviews:

• "With the opening line, “Last night I walked in stars” setting a glorious image of freedom, I was taken in and held captive. Intellectually, we are aware the writer has survived her ordeal but Ms. Burt has drawn me in and I find that I need to know more. At what cost in human endurance has this survival come?

In ‘Songs of the Brain’ the use of the small i illustrates the defenselessness of self in the quicksand of devastating illness. Then, when you think that no human being can take anymore we arrive at Part II and discover that ‘On South Aspen Street’, through a tiny glimpse into the world of spousal abuse, that indeed, the psyche can take more!

But then, at long last, we are treated to joy and love with ‘Father’s Birthing’. A quick regeneration of life for the family, for the reader, and what we had hoped for all along has occurred. The repetition of “at his/her cheek he breathes in (his) soft new life (again)’ promises the perpetuity of family.

Hypocrisy rears it’s ugly head in ‘Something Smells in Sixela’ with the church-going adults breaking commandments and children’s hearts and ego at the drop of a hat while Ms. Burt’s family remains beyond the reach of infidelity and once more we are gladdened.

To borrow a line from ‘Shades of Fall’, “Hold Tight” when beginning this particular collection of poetry. The initial intensity and angst gives way to a sense of familial love and joyful memories. Ms. Burt has bared her soul and invited us to join her to hell and back." - Review by Cheri L. Ahner (SP Quill Magazine: Winter 2004 Volume 1)

• "Courageous, Explosive--I just sat down and read The Fearless Tattoo (what a marvelous title) from cover to cover. Wow! There is so much here to love and hate and fear and hold close. I love the book, and the strong spirit that calls each word. Reading it was a journey back to our Wilmington days, the poems I saw reshaped, the poems I watched birthed. All of it came back, the neuro-intensive care scenes, the blooming gladiolas, the cow pond . .here it is, crafted and assembled and better than ever. Your talent has survived so much, yet never gives up. You give me courage. I admire this accomplishment more than I can tell you. Keep those beautiful brown eyes trained on the tiger, and take no prisoners. Yours is a voice we need." - Jan Donaldson

• "Tattoo Through the Heart! I completely agree with every word Jan said. The author is not only a strong woman, but a strong writer. A survivor whose life unfolds on the sacred white space of the page. I called everyone to tell them about the chapbook. I read and reread this book of poems. The title is comparable t o no other. It grips me in its fierce, bold wordage. It pins me to the work, prints itself indelibly upon my own heart. The author is an incredibly talented poet." - Kate Z. Birgel