I was happy to discover that Travis Hupp had a new book out, because I very much enjoyed his first poetry collection, "Faster, Annihilators!".
If you happen to have read and liked that book, you will like this book too. Hupp brings back his knack for alliteration, his iconoclastic outlook on modern American life, and his ability to either use brevity to cut right to the heart of the matter ("Density", "The Same In the Dark") or use long form pieces to more thoroughly engage in mind-bending microcosm/macrocosm juxtapositions. ("Looking For Magic", "Throwing Bones",
"A Higher Purpose"). His sense of humor and acerbic wit are back, too, as in the poem "Brains Melt" where he addresses a maddening social connection with the line "slackjawed from standing by while you suck sense itself into your singularity" and gets exhausted enough by dealing with this person to ask "Infinity's still inexhaustible, right? Surely the science on that is sturdy".
One thing I really enjoy about this collection (and this poet's work in general) is that it's definitely not just all endless love poems like many poets seem to get caught up in. Hupp doesn't shy away from addressing politics, the metaphysics of religion, or social and interpersonal issues. His poems demonstrate how these aspects interrelate to one another. Even when he does bring up love, it's often to showcase how oppression of gay men in society has hamstrung his ability to express that love, or to bring something else to light other than just another love poem. For example, in the poem "Someone You Shouldn't" he asks "Do you love someone you shouldn't", then sidesteps the stereotypical star crossed love affair-type stuff the reader might be expecting and instead launches into an examination of the environment gay men (and men in general) are forced to try to love (or to do anything else human) in. Exposing how neglected men's mental health is in this country, Hupp writes "A real man's grin never loses its sorrow proofing, A guy too sad to shovel shit is just a brat, why can't you take it like a man, who isn't there, and be resigned to that".
Other poems address the possibility of the multiverse and tries to guess what Hupp's life has been like in parallel realities ("Wander Off"), grieve over the loss of his beloved dog ("Precipice"), try to explain the hallucinations he experiences as psychic phenomena ("By Now Beloved", "The Trap"), or find hope in his faith ("Good Thing", especially with the line "I say me last and everyone seems to agree. Good thing I believe in eternity). There's even a poem dealing with the demonic ("Possessed") You never know what Hupp will address next.
The Metaphysical section of the book features writing about his religious beliefs and the things he's repentant for, such as in the kwansabas "Never Over" and "Sin and I" (which is the title track, as it were).
There are a lot of poems in here that I've already read over again because I admire their craftsmanship and will continue returning to. It's not showy poetry that dwells endlessly on the touch of someone's skin, it's smart, issue-oriented poetry that remains intriguing and unpredictable throughout.

There are some good poems here. I enjoyed the shorter poems over the longer ones, the shorter poems rhymed and had a clear meaning, the longer ones could've been shorter.

This collection of poetry is, in the most complimentary way possible, the ramblings of a mad man. It’s a madness well deserved, a madness the author explores on his journey of self discovery, identity, and acceptance (or lack thereof). The majority of poems were written in very fluid free verse, a style I’m not usually a fan of, but one that really lent itself to the chaos behind the words. Some of my favorite poems include Throwing Bones, Hunger Under Cover, Spinning Tires, and Precipice (I never would have guessed a stanza about a chicken nugget would make me tear up, but it did).

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this collection of poetry that delves into the deeper and darker side of the mind, the sins and shame we feel or don't, and love and acceptance we seek, whether it is for our spiritual side or other. These musings are thought provoking, deep, and touching.

An absolutely stunning collection of poetry from Travis Hupp. So many lines will now live rent free in my mind and are etched into my soul