Book Reviews… Sacred Mire and the Cutting Edge of Anti-: Tawahum Bige’s _Cut to Fortress_ 3 Oct 2025 (Review published here in The Rumpus, May 2025) In the opening poem “Origin” from their debut poetry collection, Cut to Fortress, indigenous activist poet Tawahum Bige asks “Where is the…
Book Reviews… Sustaining the Sense of Beginning, a Review of Devon Walker-Figueroa’s Philomath 18 Feb 202518 Feb 2025 (Review published here in North American Review, February 2025) In "Next to Nothing," near the end of her worthwhile debut poetry collection, Philomath, Devon Walker-Figueroa writes, "I have tried…
Book Reviews… A Palestinian Voice in Gaza, A Review of Mosab Abu Toha’s “Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear” 16 Jan 2025 (Review published here in The Rumpus, March 2024) Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha’s first poetry collection, Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear (City Lights Books: San Francisco, California,…
Book Reviews… As with Vigor, As with Pain, a Review of Lara Egger’s “How to Love Everyone and Almost Get Away with It” 12 Aug 2023 (Review published here in The Rumpus, July 2023) Richard Hugo in his seminal essay "The Triggering Town" writes, "Most poets write the same poem over and over. Wallace Stevens was…
Book Reviews… Review of Akwaeke Emezi’s Content Warning: Everything 12 Aug 2023 (Review published here in Colorado Review, July 2023) At one point in their debut poetry book, Content Warning: Everything, New York Times best-selling author Akwaeke Emezi (they/them) is "a…
Book Reviews… Through Our Water Like Fingers, a Review of Millicent Borges Accardi’s “Quarantine Highway” 12 Aug 202312 Aug 2023 (Review published here in South 85 Journal, July 2023) Ideological, sentimental, or unfocused urgency are just some of the challenges to overcome when creating poetry about a collective tragedy, especially…
Robert Manaster 