A first poetry collection has a telltale gravitation towards childhood and family. McKendy's collection, sipèstisyon from YesYes, is no different. I'm reminded of Hansel and Gretel, a father who is willing to hurt his own son and daughter if it makes his wife (or, stepwife, if you are more familiar with the softer revisions) happy. Fairy tales are cruel to read to kids, though I read them to my child. The poetry world is also cruel to expect poets to put forth these moments into the world...

The doctor has good news. That pain in your shoulder that has been nagging at you the last two weeks is completely curable. All it takes is a pill that has no side effects. Insurance covers it. He even has a box in stock. There’s a problem. He doesn’t give it to you. The artist has good news. She has on her laptop the draft of a poem that will help you reconnect with a memory of your mother. In fact, it has a line that, if you heard it, you’d tell it to someone else. That’s how powerful the...

Giving feedback for me used to be a selfish experience. What I viewed as flaws for my own work I assumed others would view as flaws in their work as well. This view would often come at odds with the world. I would look at others’ work with a sense that the quality was lacking, yet also see that same work not only being accepted, but acclaimed, in other spaces. For those who have been following my journey, you’ll already know I am a self-proclaimed Judge Addict, a phrase I know claim openly...