The Rumpus, "The Most Beautiful Books of 2023"Official selection of The Rumpus's Poetry Book ClubCaroline, Bookseller and Events Coordinator at Prologue Bookshop, "Top Reads of 2023"Carmichael's Bookstore, "Favorite Books of 2023""Joy Harjo begins the collection with 'Running.'. . . Following this breathtaking opener are Jericho Brown, Ada Limón, Airea D. Matthews, Sharon Olds, Ocean Vuong, and other voices offering lyrics, prose poems, and more experimental verse plumbing the depths of substance abuse, the possibility of emerging from its hold, and living in its aftermath."
–Poets & Writers, "The Anthologist: A Compendium of Uncommon Collections""This resonates as one of the most important anthologies in recent memory. Akbar and Lewis have expertly curated a collection of poets whose respective talents give language to one of the most pervasive and difficult circumstances in contemporary society. And in the end, as Akbar predicts in the opening pages, we find hope in the people that tell their stories, hope in the poems that insist not just on survival but on joy."
–The Poetry Question
"Joy Harjo, Jericho Brown, Ada Limón, Airea D. Matthews, Sharon Olds, Ocean Vuong, and other voices offer work with which to plumb the depths of substance abuse, the possibility of emerging from its hold, and living in its aftermath."
–A Room of One's Own Bookstore"This stunning anthology is a must read for anyone whose life has been affected by addiction-and any poetry aficionado. Brimming with grief, heartache, humor, and even joy, these poems capture every facet of dependency and recovery. Quite a few made me weep. Lots of heavy hitters from stars in contemporary poetry, such as Ocean Vuong, Ada Limon, Sharon Olds, and many more. "
–Caroline, Bookseller and Events Coordinator at Prologue Bookshop, "Top Reads of 2023""Why do I feel so at home among the poems and poets of
Another Last Call: Poems on Addiction & Deliverance? There is nothing more human, haunted, humbling, and bottom line, than the desire that fuels addiction and recovery–and poetry. In reading this brilliant anthology, I feel less alone. I've found my people."
–Diane Seuss, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for frank: sonnets"What better gift to all of us than this wide and deep collection of poems about what enriches all our humanity, the desire to move through each day with that clarity we call sobriety, and how that helps all of us to be more fully human."
–Afaa M. Weaver, author of A Fire in the Hills"That writer lore: that one needs alcohol, conscious-altering substances, narcotic meandering–to be one of the greats–still reigns strong. But the discovery that there were great writers in recovery brought me over, as Sharon Olds writes here, to 'the side of life, ' where I could become and become closer to myself. This anthology celebrates the true spiritual work that writing demands and sobriety gifts."
–Joy Priest, author of Horsepower
