I found this collection of poetry, "Speak to Us of Love" (1959), at a church book sale. I am not the most avid reader, and am not sure why I picked it up. However, upon opening it, I found a letter inside. The letter was from the poet themselves, responding to a letter sent by the person who bought this volume, a Sarah Hansen. It turns out Hansen was a poet herself, and had just won a poetry competition. Young congratulates her fellow poet, and shares the inspirations behind some of the poems in this collections. I like to imagine that these two women maintained a correspondence, supporting each other and their poetry. For me, finding this letter added a depth of understanding and appreciation for the poems in this collections, and made this book all the more special.
by Rosemary Hall