The Book

“Swampitude” is a neologism for a view of the world for which the swamp terrain itself is an example, a model, a teacher, an objective correlative, and the source. As far as I know, the word is my invention, but also, given the terrain, I may not know very far or very much. Swampitude is memory admitted as mixed and troubling and rich. It is also where memory is taken to be revealed and to be healed; every kind of thing is there. It is a shelter for every difficult and natural reality. Though the word may evoke stasis, it means the opposite; it is flowing. What flows in flows out changed. The book is a song of praise that tells the truth.

Praise for the book:

“Swampitude is the kind of book I look for…I love the mix of the land and the personal and the philosophical. It’s a marvelous manuscript.” Joe Mackall, editor of River Teeth journal

“The language is glorious, word by word, sentence by sentence.” Valerie Sayers, author of Due East, Who Do You Love, and The Powers

“Swampitude is the best book I’ve read in years.” Jane Zenger, author of Night Bloomer