BOOKS by D.A. Hickman

“Perhaps they were right putting love into books. Perhaps it could not live anywhere else.”
― William Faulkner

My love for books solidified in the children’s section of our musty Carnegie Library in Pierre, South Dakota. If I had a good book to read, everything else was tolerable. The best kind of inspiration, books are steady companions that enrich our lives.

For more about the books shared below, see website menu.
You can also look for my books on Goodreads.

2019: When I published A Happy Truth: Last Dogs Aren’t Always Last in late 2019, I had no idea a pandemic was coming. But in contrast to the harshness and global realities of Covid-19, Happy Truth is a heartfelt (and definitely inspiring) adventure featuring six lovable characters of the four-legged variety. As so many of us already understand, beloved cats and dogs pick us up when we’re down; they keep us going even when we falter or can’t make the daily walk. No wonder it’s so painful to say good-bye, and to begin anew, eventually. What would our lives be like without them? How do they sustain us, guide us? What life lessons are they constantly sharing with us? It’s all about love, isn’t it?

A compassionate, whimsical, hearty read. A poetic dancer on the page, Hickman leads us back to ourselves once again. ― Chloe Rachel Gallaway, The Soulful Child

A Happy Truth shares poignant and smile-provoking reflections about the special relationships humans share with animals. It’s the perfect book for those endeared by the quirks of their favorite dog or cat–people who value their joy and Zen-like contentment, and who instinctively connect with these beautiful creatures. While this was a captivating story about the animals the author treasures, it’s also a book about life, love, and loss, and how we must embrace all of it. ―C. Lee McKenzie

In prior memoirs, The Silence of Morning: A Memoir of Time Undone and Always Returning: The Wisdom of Place, Daisy Hickman captured readers’ hearts with her inimitable writing style. A Happy Truth again reveals the author’s gift for lyrical prose as she paints a beautiful expression of love between animals and humans. Reading this fascinating story, my imagination was instantly drawn in, even to the exclusion of the outside world. Animal lovers will discover a sense of magic in these pages, and not-yet animal lovers, will be converted. As Hickman suggests: “Caring for them is also a gift in disguise; it’s not optional. Their needs can motivate and inspire us to keep moving. Keep breathing, at a minimum.” ―Sherrey Meyer

“Time is an illusion.”
― Albert Einstein

Probing experience and knowledge through the hypnotic lens of time, Hickman’s first book of poetry penetrates the haziness of existence. Within this weblike dimension, humanity is a story of inevitable sameness, yet, as careworn individuals, we yearn to transcend the confines of time: to peer beyond linear thinking, to glimpse inner peace, and to see more than the finite lines of mortality. Ancients of the Earth literally sings with clarity and conviction. Written in six parts, Hickman’s collection probes the tensions and complexities of the human condition via poems that capture a persistent wondering, and that invite readers to explore the powerful dictates of time anew. Illuminating, memorable, discerning.

2017: Ancients of the Earth: Poems of Time explores the tedious, yet compelling, nature of time. Its gifts; its harsh realities. A complex and enriching terrain when viewed through a poetic lens, the world of time literally invites exploration.

A compendium of poems that root you in daily life,
while offering wings to soar to other dimensions.

“A powerfully evocative exploration of humanity and the journey through time that we all share, if not always comfortably. Finally, a deeply insightful book of poetry that leads me to myself.” ―Mark David Gerson, The Voice of the Muse

“D.A. Hickman’s poems brilliantly illuminate a subject that eludes us all–time. A vivid and intimate examination of time’s boundaries, time’s passage, this beautifully curated collection will change the way you think about the past, experience the present, and meet the future. Spellbinding and provocative, ANCIENTS OF THE EARTH will fill you with wonder, time and time again.” ―Laurie Buchanan, PhD, author

2015: My memoir of loss and spiritual inquiry is a deep dive into the spiritual wilderness of untimely endings. The Silence of Morning: A Memoir of Time Undone also explores grief as a teacher―stern, complex, yet forgiving and hopeful.

An unforgettable meditation on life and death: the powerful role love plays in attaining spiritual freedom.

“No one will avoid great, heartrending loss, but Hickman’s memoir offers warmth and friendship to anyone navigating these perilous waters. A book to treasure.”
―Lynne Morgan Spreen

“Despite a crushing loss … here we have a warmth of spirit, understanding and compassion in a distancing world.” ―Madeline Sharples, Leaving the Hall Light On
“… the gift of a spiritual seeker’s brave inquiry.” ―Richard Gilbert, Shepherd: A Memoir
” … a new path. Holy and beautiful and heartbreaking.” ―Susan Pohlman, Halfway to Each Other
“… here is much meaning, peace, and – yes – hope.” ―John DeDakis, novelist, editor

“So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness
the dancing.” ― T. S. Eliot

2014: Always Returning: The Wisdom of Place was a merger of my literary instincts and a strong desire to discern and articulate the wisdom that lives within each of us when we nurture a deeper awareness. In searching for the organic wisdom of place and people, I returned to my magnetic prairie roots in central South Dakota. Prairie wisdom, a “life wisdom” in many respects, is the foundation for a powerful, universal story. Drawing wisdom from our surroundings, regardless of “place,” is a valuable skill–a way to tap the unspoken, the overlooked, the mysterious currents that come and go in our lives.

Each page nudges us toward greater self-understanding–opening up a life story as big as a prairie sky.
― Holly Weiss, Crestmont

Opening this book is like gazing into the heart of a geode, a very special product of the earth itself — plain on the outside, and wondrously complex and colorful inside, a strong rock that never loses its beauty. Readers will find their own deepest longings here. Those longings will shimmer and glow like crystals under a magnifying glass. Daisy Hickman has listened deeply to the Dakota landscape into which she was born and to the people who offer the kind of “prairie wisdom” the world very badly needs in the 21st century. Read this book to come home to your self. ―Shirley Showalter

–>The 15th anniversary edition of Where the Heart Resides.

1999: Where the Heart Resides: Timeless Wisdom of the American Prairie
(Always Returning, 15th anniversary edition in 2014)

In the late 90s I decided to study a familiar landscape, one that represented a mesmerizing canvas comprised of challenge, adventure and, yes, hardship. From a spiritual perspective, the open space of sky and land seem to invite contemplation. Whitman and Thoreau told us these things many years ago, so it was especially intriguing to revisit ideas and concepts that are indeed timeless.

My spiritual roots were forged by a people, a place, that has something of importance for everyone. It’s merely a matter of seeing beyond the obvious. Surface impressions (superficial understanding) are limited, and limiting. I’ve long been a student of society and culture. Definitely while studying sociology in graduate school, but also in terms of being curious, observant, and attentive. Group functioning, collective mindsets, and so on, are extremely influential, but too often we fail to see the bigger picture. sociology in graduate school, but also in terms of being curious, observant, and attentive. Group functioning, collective mindsets, and so on, are extremely influential, but too often we fail to see the bigger picture.

“An ever present force, the prairie reminds and focuses us: It tells its story each day; it acts as a constant companion, one experienced in matters of the heart; it effectively bridges the gap between past and present and future, fusing them into a splendid whole.  A quilt of many colors, a swirling design representing a gorgeous piece of art.”

Where the Heart Resides:
Timeless Wisdom of the American Prairie

by Daisy Hickman (1999, William Morrow /Eagle Brook)

Original book photography (first edition) by Bob H. Miller

No one lights a lamp in order to hide it behind the door: the purpose of light is to create more light, to open people’s eyes, to reveal the marvels around. ―Paulo Coelho