First published 2016
This collection spans more than forty years of David Axelrod's career as a poet, drawing from work that stretches back to his 1968 debut alongside entirely new pieces. Axelrod organizes these poems by theme rather than chronology, creating conversations between family portraits and nature studies, sports observations and political commentary. His voice moves from sacred territory to everyday profanity with equal comfort. The current Volusia County Poet Laureate writes in language that stays direct while remaining clever, favoring wit over heavy metaphor. In "Sun Worship," he transforms his dermatologist's cautionary advice into verse, concluding with the rueful observation that "No one can tell me Vitamin D stands for death." These poems avoid academic stuffiness, carrying what one critic called an "unliterary" quality that makes them feel discovered rather than constructed. The collection demonstrates Axelrod's ability to find poetry in ordinary moments while maintaining the crafted precision that has earned him recognition from fellow poets over decades of publishing.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, poetry, biography-memoir, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: clever, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family
Period: 1968, Forty Years
196 pages · Paperback · Nirala Publications