A requiem is a solemn chant, a dirge, a mass for the dead and Heartsick Requiem, the debut full length collection by Morrow Dowdle, is just that. Dowdle writes about a complicated relationship with a difficult mother, the abuse suffered at the hands of a father, a sister’s slow dying, a marriage ending. But within and throughout these heartsick songs joy can also be found, large and small: a child’s bell of a voice calling mama, a son’s love of dinosaurs, a home of one’s own, a new piercing, a teenage daughter’s snark softened, a meal shared with loved ones. Dowdle shows us joy is sweeter on the other side of sorrow and sometimes, even if it feels impossible, the heart must sing through it all.
Available for pre-order, books will ship late October 2026.
