As I write this, it is April, National Poetry Month, and I am thinking about Lexington’s place in National Poetry Month, and its choice to have its poetry month in June, a move that goes against the grain. Accents Publishing, the marvelous publisher of this collection, once again goes against the grain with This Wretched Vessel. Selected by three of Lexington’s fine poets, Hap Houlihan, Robin LaMer Rahija, and Christopher McCurry, this anthology is an exciting and varied gathering of poems written during Lexington Poetry Month by an exciting and varied gathering of poets-a showcase of the diverse, vibrant, new and established voices coming out of (and to) Lexington-reading This Wretched Vessel is a lot like taking a drive on a Kentucky road in the month of June- night air sticky at our backs, we roam (Erin Mathew’s Calluses ); haunches quivers (tina andry); The color of dry earth before a summer rain (Jen Parks); Ideal isolation (Chuck Clenney). -Julia Johnson