The title poem in The Sea Lion Who Saved the Boy Who Jumped From the Golden Gate is based on a true story, and its suggestion that there is magic in the world, even at the darkest moments, could be seen as the implied metaphor for the book. These poems were written to connect with others on earth who are wrestling with grief and loss; they also celebrate the love of friends, children, trees, our indivisibility, our deep connectedness with all.

"I could simply praise this book as a terrific collection of moments in the life of a writer who is a secret poet, but the heroic sea lion, the visceral conversation with Vladimir Putin, and the recurring images of red (the red valley, red iced tea, and 'the moon's white light filling red rubber boots') insist I praise this as a collection of moments in the spirit, the mind and 'the red tunnel of the heart.' These warm, wise poems seek and celebrate kindnesses; they bridge Hafez and Nina Simone, memory and possibility. The Sea Lion Who Saved The Boy Who Jumped From the Golden Gate makes me wonder whether all great writers have a capacity for poetry. In any case, Jane McCafferty is a remarkable writer who is no longer a secret poet. These are lively, wonderful poems."

- Terrance Hayes