Poetry reveals Linda's extended family.

Poet Linda Chase is continuing to raise the profile of south Manchester's lively poetry scene with the publication of her second anthology of works called Extended Family. The Long-Island-born poet, who lives on Palatine Road, West Didsbury, first moved to Manchester 26 years ago. She describes her interaction with the people and history of the area as one of the central characteristics which runs through her poetry.

It's clear, however, when reading her work and talking to Linda how much this city means to her and how connected she is to the community in south Manchester. Linda said: 'The beautiful parks and unique architecture of the area make it an ideal location for any poet, especially this time of year, with the blossoming of the magnolia and cherries.'

Extended Family begins in America with childhood memories and adolescent love, the first section explores family ties and close friendships before plunging into the chaos and fear of mental breakdown, closing with a series of quirky, compassionate portraits. In the second section, 'Younger Men Have Birthdays Too', a relationship unravels in a sequence of love poems that are tender, then furious, and finally devastating. An edgy wit and a generous humour counter-balance the raw telling of this story. Whether describing casual interactions, the kindness of friends, the heartbreak of loss or unique moments of insight, Linda's clear voice and sharp eye for telling detail make this collection shine.

Linda studied creative writing at Bennington College in Vermont. She then became a stage costume designer in San Francisco and in 1968 in Edinburgh where her children were born and where she began studying Tai Chi. In 1980 she moved to Manchester and established her own Tai Chi school and also taught in psychiatric and geriatric hospitals. At the age of 50 she began to publish poems in magazines and journals. She attended many Arvon workshops and then completed an MA course at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her poems have won many prizes and appeared widely in magazines. Her collections include the pamphlet Young Men Dancing (Smith/Doorstop 1993) and These Goodbyes (Fatchance 1995). The Wedding Spy was published by Carcanet Press in 2001. In January 2004 a series of 44 poems was published in PN Review under the title, Younger Men Have Birthdays Too.

She is now a part-time lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University on their post graduate course in Creative Writing. She also teaches week-long residential poetry workshops in Spain and Greece. In the holiday workshops, she often uses Tai Chi to help participants connect the head and the heart through using movement and the physical sensations of the body.