Everything's a Verb Paperback - 1995

Poetry. Once in a very great while as a writing teacher, you come across a voice you know has the power to grow and endure and someday amaze. EVERYTHING'S A VERB is a culmination of what I came to expect from Deb Marquart some years ago; its clear forceful images move with a rare grace, indeed reaffirming my hopes for all of us who work with words

'Everything's a verb, ' the poet says, 'the world is an endless array of fibers / weaving and connecting / unraveling as time passes.' It is in the process of discovery from this controlling metaphor that these poems proceed. The past is truly alive here, gains and losses together, re-woven and re-connected to a present vibrant with passionate awareness.--Mark Vinz

Debra Marquart's poetry is anchored to her North Dakota roots, yet has the punch of a writer who has left that locale and toured for eight years with a heavy metal band. She looks back on her childhood, her family, her sense of place, not with nostalgia but with a lyricism and wit that take the reader on his or her own fascinating journey through Americana. She looks forward to finding her place in society as a strong, independent woman, and confronts some of the harsher realities of what that experience means in our world. The directness of her lines, the music of her voice, and the edge she achives through her ironic twists and turns, make a compelling book, a stunning debut for a poet we'll all want to follow.--Mary Swander

Reading a Marquart poem is like skating on a smooth and beautifully maintained surface, only to become aware, gradually, of the depths over which we skate. And if we occasionally plunge into the depths to which she lures us, she gracefully, deftly tosses a lifeline of irony. The people and situations of these poems are achingly familiar, their stories told with compelling honesty and immaculate observation. Good poetry, ultimately, is about language itself, and Marquart's collection is a brilliant example.--Reen Murphy