This is the first collection from New Brunswick poet Matthew Holmes. With quiet wit, Holmes introduces us to a world of quirk: science is skewed, deer are hunted with alphabets, the Pope is a potato offered to a homeless woman, and a sailor comes to terms with tying the knot – one that can’t be untied. Opening with a series of poems based on historical figures such as Degas, Baer, Avogadro and Heisenberg, Hitch immerses the reader into a world of rich details–retelling past events and taking us in new directions. These poems revitalise the everyday, showing us the author’s view from his window, his commute and even his major appliances. Readers will be drawn to Matthew Holmes’ varied subject matter, colloquial language and captivating voice. Technically proficient, amusing and deeply moving, Hitch is an accomplished first collection.