Night of Pure Breathing

Poetry. These dark fables, written in a language ‘born of rage, ’ furiously peel back the veneer of the world we think we know. Part fairy tale, part dream, these poems explore a region where the ordinary and the fantastic overlap, where a smile can get a job, and where identities are fluid and interchangeable. Many poems are set in exotic locations–Corfu, Bali, Mexico, Ukraine–but they all merge to create a discrete, elemental landscape, a poetic geography where this remarkable collection plays out. In one poem, ‘a boy and girl court each other by telling ghost stories.’ Gerald Fleming’s NIGHT OF PURE BREATHING is a collection that seduces the reader in just that way. Hold onto your socks; you’re in for a ride–Gary Young.