The Wet Clay of My Heart
Toni Stern
Toni Stern has created a unique book of poetry, comprised exclusively of centos. A cento is, by definition, a piece of writing, especially a poem, composed wholly of quotations from works of other authors. Centos originated around the fourth century, reconfiguring pre-existing poetic texts into new systems of imagery and ideas.
Toni made her mark in the music world as a lyricist for Carole King. Toni's biggest success was as the lyricist for "It's Too Late" as well as "Where You Lead" on the Tapestry album. "It's Too Late" is one of the most popular songs in the pop music canon, and "Where You Lead" became the theme song for the beloved television series, "Gilmore Girls."
Of The Wet Clay of My Heart, Toni's fourth book of poetry, she writes: "The Wet Clay of My Heart reveals myself to me in a way that would not have been possible without the transformative contributions of the artists quoted within these pages. I am indebted to them all."
About the Author
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Toni Stern enjoyed a highly productive collaboration with the singer-songwriter Carole King. Stern wrote the lyrics for several of King's songs of the late '60s and early '70s, most notably "It's Too Late" for the album Tapestry. The album has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and received numerous industry awards. In 2012 Tapestry was honored with inclusion in the National Recording Registry to be preserved by the Library of Congress; in 2013, King played "It's Too Late" at the White House. That song, along with Stern's "Where You Lead," feature in the Broadway hit and soundtrack album Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. "Where You Lead" is also the theme song for the acclaimed television series Gilmore Girls. Toni lives in Santa Ynez, California.