Portia Cornell was born and raised in New York City. Her short stories and poetry have been published in numerous anthologies. As an Affiliate of Amherst Writers and Artists, she leads writing workshops for different populations. The Alzheimers patients she works with in Key West, Florida regularly publish a book of their writing. Portia lives in South Hadley, Massachusetts and Sugarloaf Key, Florida with her partner Lynne Kimmel and their dog Pooky.
With "A Loss for Words," Portia Cornell has created a wonderfully alive and moving portrait. Through these poems, a perceptive young girl faces tragedy and pain, and comes into her fullness a brave and compassionate woman. The poems are filled with deep understanding of our fragile human condition, and a wit so cutting and clear it offers redemption. - Patricia Lee Lewis
While the poetry of Portia Cornell never strays far from the difficulties her full life has brought, her opening words keep us with her, seeking light. With a wry sense of humor and great compassion, Cornell veers from a family tradition of secrecy and silence into the realm that so fortunately bring words to us, healing words. These are poems that took courage to write and lend courage to the reader. - Carol Edelstein, poet Author of "The Disappearing Letters" Perugia Press 2005
Portia Cornell was born into a poet's body. In her chapbook she tells us that as a child she had "thoughts like birds seeking light." She was the one who "knows when the red winged black bird will come." It takes the eyes of a poet to find words for those experiences that often leave people at "A Loss for Words"--the name of her chapbook. In this book, Portia guides us through a journey. She delves deeply into a life that has moments of gentleness and moments of cruelty. Through her poetry, this journey is rendered into a whole that is beyond definitions of gentle or cruel; it becomes the body of the poet's life: rich, seen, whole, held. - Debora Seidman is a poet and playwright. She leads writing workshops called "Writing the Body Home."
