Tumor Moon

The push of the poems move you through this very unified work, the elegant and surprising mix of medical/ scientific language blended with ordinary images, the emotion in each one. Each poem builds a crescendo you feel with the poet. There are a variety of forms to fit the specific subject of each poem that startle with both bluntness and eloquence. Not usually a fan of "medical/ disease" themed works, this one won me with its cool honesty and deftly articulated sentiment without sentimentality. You are with this woman and her son as she navigates their experience. And the "conclusion" is that there is no "end point" in this endeavor, only a resolve to move forward. Each time I read this, I loved it all over again!

-Raphael Kosek, author of Harmless Encounters, Winner of the Jessie Bryce Niles Chapbook Award