BRINGING THE SHOVEL DOWN

Ross Gay's poetry leans, generally, toward the joyful, so the early parts of this collection come as something of a surprise. His narration is, as always, quite fine, but his tone (and that of the work) is somewhat darker than we might expect. The poetry is up to Gay's usual high standard, and his control of tone, phrasing, and pace are exemplary, but he begins here with questions of how we fail in love and justice, how we do not take the actions that would make us and our world better. As the collection proceeds, however, the speakers in the poems become more adept at love and morality (which are closely tied, in Gay's view), until the book concludes on a triumphant and unexpected note. D.M.H. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2025]