Poetry! Having gone kinda wild at AWP a few months back, I made time for three books this week. There’s so much to read! All three are very different books, which is one of the great things about poetry. This week, I readThe Trees The Trees<\/em> by Heather Christle, Brazos<\/em> by Justin Carter, and Blood Wolf Moon<\/em> by Elise Paschen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Trees The Trees<\/em> by Heather Christle:<\/strong> I have been wanting to read this book since it came out in 2011. I couldn’t afford it for whatever reason then, and then kinda forgot about it. Adrian’s book reminded me of it again, and the homie Ben Neispodziany hosting Heather at a recent Neon Mic Night reminded me of it again, and then finding it at Uncharted Books in Andersonville on Independent Bookstore Day cemented it. I had to read this book, as soon as possible. All of that anticipation was richly rewarded. This book is so fun, surprising, wonderfully compact. I didn’t want the book to end, yet each poem was like eating what you claim will be your second-to-last chip. Unlike chips, though, these poems are very nutrient-dense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Brazos<\/em> by Justin Carter:<\/strong> one cool side effect of supporting small press poetry is you get cool stuff in your library. We had Justin on a The Line Break<\/em> episode, and shortly thereafter, he was hawking author copies of Brazos<\/em> online. I electronically shot him some dollars, and received in return a signed copy with a drawing of a basketball court\/drawing of a jersey with my name. I’m glad to have done so, because this book rocks. It’s a phenomenal portrait of small-town South. There’s some elegiac and yearning father-son stuff, but it’s never cliche or sentimental. There is a lot in here about the power of the river, and the way settlers in Texas’s relationship to nature is often more exploitative than honorary. There’s also Dale Earnhardt. Praise Dale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Blood Wolf Moon <\/em>by Elise Paschen:<\/strong> another of the famed Red Hen Five, the group of books I bought at AWP after<\/em> I was “done buying books,” because someone handed me a $5 voucher and then books were four for $20. I bought this not knowing the author, simply because I always feel like I should always be reading more Indigenous poets. I’m so glad I did. Something I love about AWP is I can just casually learn about a poet who\u2019s a relative big deal. This is Elise Paschen\u2019s sixth collection, her grandmother\u2019s blankets are in Killers Of The Flower Moon<\/em>, and I was totally unaware of her. I am glad to know her work, though, and will be seeking out other collections.\u00a0These poems are moving, they’re exciting, and, with Ankle Deep In Pacific Water<\/em>, feature a mother being less than an ideal mothers. I’ll definitely be looking for more Elise Paschen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n LINKS!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Something to listen to while you browse? It’s a lot of podcasts this week, so let’s keep it short and browsing-friendly. Here’s a cover of the Wii Party main menu screen from Dani Nooijen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Blood](\"https:\/\/www.lazyandentitled.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_6358-1024x768.jpg\")