Literary Nonfiction. A lyric exploration of addiction. McClure and Schmeltzer have concocted a compelling, lilting whisper of a work that defies genre. The blending of their words reminds me of a hushed table in the corner of a small cafe toward closing hours, where a candle trembles between the confessions of two shadows, leaning into one other. At times, it’s impossible to discern between the two voices, so tied are they in their reverence and reckoning, their lies and longing, their desire for the burn of drink mixed with the shared fear of it in their blood. The lyricism of A SINGLE THROAT OPENS will make every listener thirsty, parched on the last page for more. This book is a yearning.–Jill Talbot