"In the spirit of Whitman, Olds, and Levine, Tolan’s first book of poems draws in conceits and concerns from the grit and sweat of the physical world. But it is also a haunting metaphysical litany…'We are the new Jehovahs, gods of vengeance and small mercies,' he reminds us, 'who rose from the sea and walked, our lips salted thick with want.' His praise of the physical world is exacting enough to transport us to an Eden where flesh still collides, in ways unexpected, with spirit." —Dorianne Laux

James Tolan received his PhD in English and creative writing from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He is the author of Filched (Dos Madres Press, 2017) and Mass of the Forgotten (Autumn House Press, 2013), and co-editor of New America: Contemporary Literature for a Changing Society (Autumn House Press, 2012). He was the recipient of honors from the Association of Writers and Writing Programs, the Atlantic Center for the Arts, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.