“Much is made of beginnings and endings, the first line of a poem or its closing stanza. We see critical attention given to prize-winning debuts, collected bodies of work, and books published posthumously. But what about middles? The volta of the writing life, so to speak.”

“I offer this prelude on the torn, sprained bodies of poem and poet as an introduction to three books by Toby Martinez de las Rivas, whose religiously inflected poems are strenuous in the sense that they understand the work of poetry in terms of strain. Strain is one word for song.”

“Indeed, the best poets recognize that language, like a single atom, must be ruptured in order to unbridle all the energies buried deep inside.” — Sarah D’Stair

“The three collections I’ve chosen satisfy my desire for specificity. They lean into the peculiar particular and press on the pulse of language that reminds us that there is more wonder to be found in our world. ” Laura Villareal on Emily Stoddard, Karen Rigby, and Brandom Som.

“Kelly’s hermetic temperament and fable-like staging feel tethered not to a particular era, but to the larger through-line of lyric poetry. Her engagement with the human and animal world remains as timeless as her interests in moral negotiations and neglect, and the limitations of attentiveness and self-awareness …”