Codex

"Joshua Lew McDermott's first book offers poems astonishing for their range, both in their geographies and in their emotional register. The poetry is fiercely honest and self-revelatory, and expresses an expanse of feelings, from sexual ecstasy to scourging grief, from rage to sparkling joy, in language so clear and precise that every moment is rendered unforgettable, and immutable. Defying current poetic trends toward obscurity and emotional sterility, these poems mean what they say, and are built to last." "This is the book that calls bullshit on the vast economic wasteland created by nonpoets. This book is antithesis to the horrific, the balm we need to heal from it. These poems of love and revolution sizzle and pop like lit cigarettes on acid-wet skin. These poems are brutal in their examination of humanity and beautiful in their exploration of the heart. These words and lines, thrumming with emotion, dance across a global landscape, assembling the reality we miss while we are going along in our delusions and justifications. This writing makes us reconsider everything." About the Author: Joshua Lew McDermott is a poet, activist, and sociologist. He was born in Idaho Falls and grew up in South East Idaho. He currently lives in Pittsburgh via stints in Alberta, Utah, Sierra Leone, and New Mexico. He was an integral part of the Logan, Utah, poetry scene in the early 2010's. He is the president of the African Socialist Movement International Support Committee.