In this outrageous second volume of distinctive poetry, spoken word Slam champ Matt Cook tackles science ( Static Electricity ), geography ( Pittsburgh ), and death ( Oblong Strongboxes ), among other topics. Observing life perceptively both globally ( Goat Transaction ) and locally ( The Man Across the Street ), Cook’s writing is smart and funny, with a subtext of serious social commentary. Selections from this book have been heard on Garrison Keillor’s Writers Almanac, broadcast on NPR.