WLA Recognizes Ethel Mortenson Davis for Poetry

The Wisconsin Library Association has recognized Ethel Mortenson Davis’ 2018 book, Under the Tail of the Milky Way Galaxy, as one of the Outstanding Poetry Books of 2019. A member of the Door County Poetry Collective, she has published five poetry books during a career spanning from the early 1960s until today. She is also a Door County artist whose pastels have been featured in local galleries.

British poet John Looker said in a review of Davis’ work, “Here is a harvest of finely judged lyrical poems that express a joy in the natural world. They are not merely nature poems, however. Ethel Mortenson Davis had a deep reverence for nature, coupled with a sadness [about] humankind’s frequent indifference … There is delight to be found in these pages, but also a call for awareness.”

The Wisconsin Library Association seeks to improve and promote library services in the state and announces its literary awards annually in July.