Daniel Lassell: ‘Spit’ Poem

Description

Wheelbarrow Books / Michigan State University Press, paperback

Publication Date: July 1, 2021

Publisher Marketing: The first-ever poetry book set on a llama farm, Daniel Lassell’s debut collection, Spit, examines the roles we play within the act of belonging. It is a portrait of a boy living on a farm populated with chickens sung to sleep by lullaby, captive wolves next door that attack a child, and a herd of llamas learning to survive despite coyotes and a chaotic family. The collection in part explores the role of the body in health and illness, and one’s treatment of the earth and others. A theme of spirituality also weaves throughout the collection as the speaker treks into adulthood, yearning for peace amid the decline of his parents’ marriage. Unflinching at every turn, the collection pushes the boundaries of “home” to arrive upon new meaning, definition, and purpose.

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