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Survived By: A Memoir in Verse + Other Poems
SURVIVED BY, began after Anne Marie learned of her father's terminal cancer diagnosis. On December 13, 2019, after her father collapsed, too weak to even hold an ice chip in his mouth, she found herself writing poetry after having never written poetry before. When she felt the most lost and the most desperate, her instinct urged her to borrow a pen from the nurse's station and write poems on the back of receipts she found in her purse.
Poems in this collection vary in form, creating a visually interesting collection that will make readers curious to turn to the next page. Her book explicitly invites readers to rip pages out, draw on them, and even write their own words on them.
SURVIVED BY, will appeal to individuals working through a grief journey and individuals who have experienced and are working through emotional hardships. This memoir in verse and selected other poems were born from the pain induced by watching her father slowly lose his life. Writing these poems kept her from drowning in her grief, and she hopes that others can find a similarly buoyant companion in this collection and use her words in whatever ways they need in order to stay afloat too.
Anne Marie's debut collection launched on April 30, 2023 through Curious Corvid Publishing.
Mother, (v)
Out of almost 500 entries, Mother, (v), won the 2023 Cinnamon Press Pamphlet Contest.
The panel of judges noted: "Mother, (v) by Anne Marie Wells is formally distinctive and beautifully honed. Reflective, precise and poignant, this is honest, exquisitely realised poetry exploring fertility with a freshness and intelligence that draws the reader in deeply."
Available Now!
Happy Iceland
In an attempt to escape her depressing life, author Anne Marie Wells fulfilled her dream of traveling to Iceland. Instead of following an itinerary, renting a car, and staying in hotels, she asked a random Icelandic stranger at the Keflavik airport about his happiest memories in Iceland. This first encounter led to a five-week journey of backpacking, hitchhiking, sleeping under a tarp, and occasionally being taken in by Icelandic strangers in a quest to find the places where locals’ happiest memories took place, and to learn what made Icelandic people happy. She found happy places all over the country including childhood sports fields and family farms, whimsical waterfalls, and Icelandic Highlands.
As described in Reynir Traustason’s article in Stundin, “Leitaði hamingjunnar á Íslandi í ástarsorg,” the Icelandic people taught this lowly American the true meaning of “Happiness.”
“Anne Marie is a wonderful spirit filled with adventure, spontaneity, humor, and bravery who makes an instant connection to one's heart the way music does--no words needed. In her book, she recounts the incredible adventures she had while traveling and hitchhiking on her quest to find what made random Icelanders happy.
Happy Iceland chronicles the people Wells met, the friends she made, the culture she shared, the beautiful (and sometimes harsh) nature she encountered, and how the journey helped her to see more clearly what changes she needed to make in her own life to be happier.
A wonderful story and a reminder that connecting and loving other people is the essence of our existence.”
- Þórlaug Sveinsdóttir, Icelandic local, Reykjavik tour guide
“Anne Marie´s story is unique. When heartbreak came knocking, she embarked on an incredible journey of uncertainty where she sought out Icelandic locals and their knowledge of happiness. I met her in Norðurfjörður, one of Iceland’s most sparsely populated communities and was instantly captivated by her broad smile and optimism.
Happy Iceland is the tale of a hero who conquers her sorrow and spreads hope.”
- Reynir Traustason, Editor-in-Chief of the Icelandic news magazine, Mannlíf
Announcement: I am no longer with Wild Dog Press
Mommy, Why Am I a Bird? | Mamã, Porque Sou Uma Ave?
Mommy, Why Am I a Bird? | Mamã, Porque Sou Uma Ave? is a bilingual (English | Portuguese) children's book written in 2012 during Anne Marie's Masters in Applied Ecology program at the Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal in conjunction with her dissertation work on ecological education at Jardim de Infância SASUC.
A curious little bird asks her mother what makes them birds. They navigate the possibilities together until they figure out the answer.
Watch Anne Marie read this book
Anne Marie and her children's book were featured during the pandemic on Wyoming PBS's Story Time with Wyoming Authors series.