The Wonder Paradox

“Thought-provoking and intriguing . . . Studded with insightful commentary . . . [An] inspirational invitation to reconsider the role of poetry in life.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“[Jennifer Michael Hecht] designs a liturgy for a disenchanted world . . . Drawing on an admirable array of poets (many not Western), Hecht synthesizes artistic and spiritual insight in astute but not stuffy ways, and welcomes readers unsure where to start.”

—Publishers Weekly

“[The Wonder Paradox] delights . . . Warmth and enthusiasm suffuse Hecht’s enchanting prose, which make this book a moving, hopeful read.”

—Zachariah Motts, Library Journal (starred review)

“I began this book already a believer in the power of poetry—a member of the choir, ready for the preaching—but I finished it even more fervent. Jennifer Michael Hecht’s The Wonder Paradox is part practical, inspiring guide to meaning and connection, part love letter to poetry and the role it can play in our lives. Every page sings with beautiful sentences I couldn’t help but underline. At the core of this book is something deeply true: poetry is for everyone. The Wonder Paradox is a book I’ll gift to friends and family—to everyone—for years to come.”

—Maggie Smith, author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful

“Both a manifesto and a practical guide, The Wonder Paradox takes the reader by the hand and patiently, gently, and with great care introduces us to the delights, joys and wisdom of poetry. Here you will find a moving personal story and exciting close readings of brilliant poems, all organized around Hecht’s strong belief in the art that’s both communal and deeply intimate. If Jennifer Michael Hecht is starting a movement—sign me up! Finally, here is a party worth joining.”

—Ilya Kaminsky, author of Deaf Republic and Dancing in Odessa

“When I read Jennifer Hecht’s title, I was immediately trapped, and then happily and gratefully in the thrall of a writer who shares my world and makes it brighter. What I like most is the book’s attitude toward the reader: Clearly Ms. Hecht’s is a superior mind, but her use of ‘you’ is so ‘embracing,’ we believe we all have superior minds. The Wonder Paradox makes us better and smarter by assuming we already are. This is a rare heart.”

—Roger Rosenblatt, author of Making Toast

“The Wonder Paradox leads its readers into the open space between the extremes of atheism and religious belief; here, spiritual insights that lie hidden in daily experience are released through secular rituals and the practice of poetry. In her lively, useful exploration of this middle zone, Jennifer Michael Hecht offers us a wakeful perspective, both timeless and germane to our times.”

—Billy Collins, author of Whale Day

“The Wonder Paradox is such a brilliant, generous, funny, helpful book. I’ve never read anything like it, and I want to give it to every friend I know. Jennifer Michael Hecht is a kind and respectful interlocutor, who has read precisely the right thing and knows just what to say to guide us through our modern confusions. I know I will keep it close for guidance and solace.”

—Matthew Zapruder, author of Story of a Poem

“A journey into The Wonder Paradox will reawaken not only your poetic imagination and search for timeless truths about existence, but also your very capacity for that most human of tendencies: wondering about the meaning of life. Reading Jennifer Michael Hecht’s tour of wonder will stir your soul.”

—Dacher Keltner, author of Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life