COVER REVEAL!
Open for a special sneak peek of Birds of America, available 6.9.2026
Dear readers,
I am thrilled to officially reveal the gorgeous cover of my newest poetry collection Birds of America. I’m sure you’ll believe me when I say that this has been a really tough secret to keep!
Today’s announcement by the Dial Press says:
We are thrilled to reveal the cover for Chera Hammons’ (@chera_writes) BIRDS OF AMERICA, an evocative, uplifting, and thoughtfully illustrated collection of poems steeped in the natural world.
What does it mean to love someone, and to love the world, when what we love is vanishing? In BIRDS OF AMERICA, award-winning poet Chera Hammons reckons with the intersection of personal violence and the violence humans have wrought upon our planet, exploring the beauty that remains among the ruins.
With graceful lyricism and exquisite artwork by acclaimed illustrator Sophie Lucido Johnson (@sophielucidojohnson), BIRDS OF AMERICA offers a meditative lens with which to view the fraught relationships we have with the living beings around us—encouraging us to love fiercely, to embrace a future where our damage teaches us to be kinder people, and to never give up on the beauty of our world.
On sale 6.9.26.
Especially because Birds of America sometimes uses erasure poems to tell its story, I fell in love with this cover the moment I saw it. It looks to me like an erasure poem that has everything marked through except the birds.
I also have a special sneak peek inside the pages of the book to share with you! This is one of the shorter poems, with its accompanying art:
Somehow, all of Sophie’s illustrations are just as stunning as this one is.
I’m so grateful to every single one of the many talented, caring people who have worked so hard to bring this book to life. I really can’t wait to share it with the world.
For more information about Birds of America, please click here.
I appreciate the time you’ve spent with me today! I’ll see you next time.
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YAAAAAY! Love this cover and this book!