Somewhere in the middle of writing the first chapter of All the Colors of Night I knew the plot needed a psychic poet and a poem that would capture the soul of the story. As fate, luck or coincidence would have it—and we all know there are no coincidences—I happen to have a friend who is a poet: Jared Curtis, professor emeritus of English at Simon Fraser University. In the world of scholars he is known for his work editing the works and manuscript materials of William Wordsworth and W. B. Yeats. I asked Jared to write a poem for the book. At that point the only thing I could tell him about the story—the only thing I knew for sure—was that I was working with a hero and heroine who were at turning points in their lives, characters searching for the path forward.
Equipped with only those vague details, Jared wrote “Hope and Love.” It is the poem Sierra’s father sends to her at the beginning of the book, the poem Sierra later shares with North Chastain. It touches on all the themes that matter in the story and includes several elements I didn’t know were going to be important until I got there.
One of the things I learned while writing this book—and I always learn something along the way—is that poems have a seriously paranormal vibe, and apparently, so do the people who create them.
I want to take this opportunity to thank Jared Curtis for creating “Hope and Love” for All the Colors of Night. Turns out he’s a genuine psychic poet.