Kingfisher Blues: Poems - Paperback

by Erik Reece (Author)

At the intersection of alcoholism and recovery, Kingfisher Blues brings an unflinching eye and raw wit to one man's battle with addiction. Alternating between meditations on the natural world and gritty snapshots of the county jail, rehab center, and people who occupy these spaces with him--from strippers to soldiers--Reece ruminates on the thin line between life and death. Evocative and unfiltered, Kingfisher Blues weaves his experiences of Montana prairies, Kentucky woods, and Cumberland creeks into stories shared with neighbors, ancestors, former friends, and enduring partners.

These intensely personal yet universal poems boldly confront demons and deities while remaining skeptical about either's existence. By conveying the despair--and serenity--found in the loneliness of the woods and seeking self-acceptance in the face of ugly truths, this collection offers a visceral encounter with the intertwined forces of nature, human struggle, and redemption.

Author Biography

Erik Reece is the author of six books of nonfiction, including Clear Creek, Utopia Drive, and Lost Mountain, which won Columbia University's John B. Oakes Award for Distinguished Environmental Journalism and the Sierra Club's David R. Brower Award for Excellence in Environmental Writing. His work has appeared in Harper's, the Oxford American, the Atlantic, Orion, and other publications. His two earlier collections of poetry, A Short History of the Present and Animals at Full Moon, were published by Larkspur Press. He teaches writing and literature at the University of Kentucky and is the founder of Kentucky Writers and Artists for Reforestation.