Poetry. "One might be forgiven for thinking that the almost universally dark subject matter of these eloquent poems--rape and its aftermath, murder, aberrant psychology, divorce, suicide--might make for gloomy reading. Banish the thought! These poems perfectly encompass both the surrounding darkness and the inextinguishable candle that is lit against it. They are not about life so much as they are the stuff of life itself. Savor them and take heart."--Pinckney Benedict, author of Miracle Boy and Other Stories

Michelle Brooks has published poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction in a variety of publications, including The Iowa Review, Hayden's Ferry Review, Madison Review, Orchid, Blue Mesa Review, Gargoyle, South Carolina Review, Slipstream, Natural Bridge, Confluence, Eclipse, and Other Voices. A native Texan, she has lived in Detroit since Devil's Night in 1997. She is the author of a novella, Dead Girl, Live Boy (Storylandia Press, 2011) and a collection of poetry, MAKE YOURSELF SMALL (The Backwaters Press, 2011).