In the Very End, the final collection of Joyce Holmes McAllister, the poet confronts death and dying. These poems chart losses, yes, but also resilience, humor in the face of tragedy, learned wisdom. McAllister doesn't skirt the difficult or the painful, but feels it, writes it, and perhaps transcends it. She faces things head on, doesn't shy away from raw wounds or from memories full of longing. She extends her consciousness and vitality not only to people, but also to pets, houses, trees, objects. . . as if they were right there in front of her: vivid and loved.

McAllister is a poets' poet, always turning to language in order to express feeling and experience. Her poems, often complete with meter and rhyme, are always rich in imagery specific to time and place. This poet's mind's eye is unsparing, tender, and clear.

McAllister is the author of two chapbooks: Before We Knew, published by Foothills Publishing, and Return, published by Yellow Sofa Press, which also published her full-length collection Food for Thought, complete with watercolor illustrations by fellow poet and publisher Mary Beth O'Connor.