Somewhere a Woman Lowers the Hem of Her Skirt

Somewhere a Woman Lowers the Hem of Her Skirt


Laurie Uttich creates a safe space in her new poetry collection, where readers know they’re not alone. Somewhere a Woman Lowers the Hem of Her Skirt will be published by Riot in Your Throat, a press dedicated to feminist poetry.

In this book, Laurie guides you through different experiences in life with vulnerability and relatability, critiquing gender roles, expectations put on women, and society. Some other topics include abuse, mental health, old and new relationships, and finding your way back home.

Her language is fierce and strong, telling unforgettable stories about breaking free from a quiet midwestern mold and demanding more from a world with inequality and injustice. These poems support everyone navigating their own journey in life with poems like “A Prayer for My 17-Year-Old Son on the Other Side of the Door” and “To My Student With the Dime-Sized Bruises on the Back of Her Arms Who’s Still on Her Cell Phone.”

Her knowledge from her own heartache, raising boys and making connections today is written in a way that makes it seem like she is speaking directly to you, sharing encouraging words of hope and strength. This closeness and raw emotion from Uttich invites the reader to dig deep in a brave, self-accepting way, while gently reminding everyone that they have the strength to bring about the change needed in the world and break out of our own molds others have put us in.

These poems will take you out, spin you around, and teach you just how important a woman’s life is. They’ll remind you of the distance between where you grew up and where you live now, and then they’ll collapse that distance so you see who you are is everyone you’ve ever been. And they’ll do all that with breathless grace, humor, and compassion.

Katherine Riegel, author of two poetry collections: What the Mouth Was Made For (2013) and Castaway (2010)

To order a copy, visit the publisher’s website or Amazon.

Laurie has three poems in Issue 17 of SR, two of which are featured in this poetry collection. To see more of Laurie’s work, check out her website and Twitter.