Carol Milkuhn

Long fascinated by the relationship between the past and the present, Carol Milkuhn turned to this subject when she picked up a pen, finding voice in both poetry and prose. Writing the poem “Anne Boleyn’s Dressmaker” was a turning point. The needlewoman who tells the queen’s story in time becomes Cordelia Sheldon, the main character in Milkuhn’s novel The tapestry of Queens. Then, in her first poetry chapbook, The Company of Queens, she tells the story of all six of Henry VIII’s wives, juxtaposing their lives with the lives of Twentieth Century queens, finding many similarities, many commonalities with these women and their famous forbearers.

Modern Tapestries, Medieval Looms continues this exploration of connections between previous centuries and the modern world. Beginning with descriptions of the art and culture of previous times, these poems radiate out, fostering parallels with current concerns and events. A former English teacher, Milkuhn holds a master’s degree from the University of Michigan and has studied at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.