Early in her powerful, affecting debut, Desautels writes: “I always mention gratitude because / people like that ending.”  Unflinching in its candor, this is the story of a woman with two swellings in her belly: a nascent baby, and a cancerous tumor. The poet could focus on the particulars of the medical case, using language from a traditional illness narrative. Instead she gives us the basics, then gathers up surprising and expansive material from various landscapes—the Black Hills, the prairies of Texas, the mountains, switchgrass, and, especially, the neighboring buffalo, to which she feels a profound connection.

DesAutels’s metaphors strike home; they are counterpoints, balm to the uncertainty and grief that make us uncomfortable. The book moves elegantly from its dark beginnings to a transcendent thankfulness.  With healing lyricism, she writes: “And I imagine the white sheets as heron wings. / And the whirring machines are white eggs. / And the worried voices are sunlight on water.”

Praise for A Dangerous Place: "In 'Ghost Child,' one of the poems in Chelsea B. DesAutels’s debut poetry collection A Dangerous Place, she writes about a false pregnancy that turns out to be a cancer diagnosis, asking 'What kind of body prefers cancer to a child?' This parallel of growths—one hopeful, one terrifying—is a reflection of the many dualities and metaphors DesAutels explores in her work. Life itself is a 'dangerous place,' and she is as interested in the subjects hardest to discuss as she is in the human emotions that allow us to move forward, despite them."—"Twelve Poetry Collections to Read in 2021," Chicago Review of Books

Chelsea B. DesAutels is the author of A Dangerous Place (Sarabande Books, Oct. 2021). Her work appears in the Adroit Journal, Copper Nickel, Gulf Coast, Massachusetts Review, Ploughshares, and elsewhere. A Tin House Scholar and winner of the 2020 Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ Prize from the Missouri Review, Chelsea earned her MFA from the University of Houston, where she was the recipient of the Inprint Paul Verlaine Prize in Poetry. Chelsea lives with her family in Minneapolis.

Kate Hopper is an editor and writing coach and the author of Use Your Words: A Writing Guide for Mothers, Ready for Air: A Journey Through Premature Motherhood, winner of a Midwest Independent Publishing Award, and co-author of Silent Running. Her writing has appeared in a number of journals, including Brevity, True Story, Longreads, Los Angeles Review of Books, Poets & Writers and River Teeth. She teaches online and in Ashland University’s Low-residency MFA program.

A note about in person events:

As we all navigate the transition back to congregating in person, we ask that you use honesty, care, and understanding in interacting with fellow event-goers, staff, and authors.

Please note that Magers & Quinn will always comply with current city and state regulations, and reserves the right to change the below policies at any time. These are guidelines only, and if you have questions about the most up to date information, you can always call us at 612-822-4611.

For information about how our in-person events will work over the coming months, please read on:

Q: Are masks required?

A: Face masks are not currently required in our building, but some events may require masks be worn in the event area/signing line at the authors’ request. Registered customers will receive information about the specific event’s mask policy the week of the event.

For the health and safety of others, in accordance with current recommendations and scientific findings, Magers & Quinn strongly encourages all customers wear a mask, especially if not fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Q: Are in store events free?

A: Yes, Magers & Quinn events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

Q: Do I need to RSVP?

A: Yes, please. Each event will now include a registration link.

As we navigate this step back to in-person events, we will be limiting event capacity to ensure a safe and comfortable experience for all attendees and authors. By requiring pre-registration, we can easily communicate event updates and policies with those who plan to attend and can contact attendees after the event with follow-up information.

We strongly suggest registering via the Eventbrite link provided on our website, but if you are unable to sign up online, please call or visit the bookstore and register with a bookseller.

We may or may not be able to accommodate unregistered walk-ins, and seating priority will always be given to registered customers. We appreciate your understanding of this new process!