"…radiant poetry! …my family background is Russian and the heart of Russian Arts Theory has always been that 'Poetry is the Mother of all the Arts.' This deeply felt and honest poetry…upheld and reinforced the old Russian Arts Theory. I shall treasure my copy of Licking the Bones Dry."

-James Dick, Founder and Artistic Director
International Festival-Institute at Round Top, Texas
August 30, 2001

"Her poetry is thought provoking, the kind you want to keep going back to. Fitts' work is a celebration of emancipation that is intimate and tender. It consists of 70 pages you'll pick up more than once. Add me to the list of those who anticipate her next volume."

-Peggie Miller, Performing Arts Columnist
The Courier
September 16, 2001

"Fitts writes with an observational, deeply personal style which blends her own feelings with fine images in Licking the Bones Dry."

-James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Wisconsin Bookwatch
November, 2001

"It's a commentary on the universal ritual that we must all take part in - loss. The loss of lovers. The loss of friends. The loss of family. Yet beneath the void left by things lost and the pain that fills it, Fitts offers hope. From every ending a new beginning is born. By reading these poems, we are forced by Fitts to look within ourselves, to shed the masks we wear and to emerge stronger and more willing to learn from the losses we bear."

-Jonathan I. Gonzales
El Paso Times
September 30, 2001

"Readers who admire an active imagination and vivid metaphor will delight in Susan Love Fitts' new book of poetry, Licking the Bones Dry. The poems' subject matter is life itself - in this case a mature life closely observed with depth, clarity and philosophical awareness. Fitts is an author who possesses a likeable literary persona, who presents a seriously considered view of life, and who has significant things to say on subjects important to the human condition."

-Donn Taylor, Book Critic
The Courier
September 29, 2001

"…a special gift and a great addition to our festival!"

-Judy Flowers, Chair
Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival
October 30, 2001