Contact: Peggy Heitmann
Website: peggyheitmannstudio.com
Raleigh Poet Peggy Heitmann Releases Debut Collection, Some Call It a Journey
New poetry collection from Kelsay Books explores loss, resilience, and hope through the lens of nature and a breast cancer journey
RALEIGH, N.C. (Fall 2026) — Local poet Peggy Heitmann announces the release of her debut poetry collection, Some Call It a Journey, published by Kelsay Books this fall. The paperback (ISBN 978-1-63980-927-1, $23.00) is available now through the Kelsay Books website and Amazon.
Peggy Heitmann’s poems speak with a voice of vulnerability and honesty. There is a tendril of longing that spirals through much of this collection, a yearning for what has already been lost and what will soon be taken. These poems pay close attention to the natural world, finding comfort and lessons on how to live: “My way is that of the little sparrow // —coffee-brown back-feathered // —white under bellied // —pebbled black neck // —delicate songbirds // They remind me to embrace change // the same way they thrive whether on a farm or in the city.” I found both a tenderness and strength woven into so many of these poems, yet Heitmann never shies away from truths or sorrow or anger or speaking her mind. Ultimately, this is a book about grit and what it means to go on with living, and what it means to find hope through darkness.
—Shuly Xóchitl Cawood, author of Something So Good It Can Never Be Enough
About the Author
Peggy Heitmann is an award-winning poet who placed as a finalist in the 2026 Ron Rash Awards. She writes poetry according to her interests—ancestor poems, nature, love, gratitude, a life-long fascination with van Gogh, and, of course, her breast cancer poems. She has published in a variety of literary magazines. Her poetry book, Some Call It a Journey, will be released this fall by Kelsay Books. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband and their two cats. Visit her website at peggyheitmannstudio.com.
Book Details
Title: Some Call It a Journey
Author: Peggy Heitmann
Publisher: Kelsay Books
Format: Paperback
Price: $23.00
ISBN: 978-1-63980-927-1
Library of Congress Number: 2026946990
Available: Kelsay Books website and Amazon