Annatto

Abstract

Annatto is a collection of 26 poems which vary in style. The overarching theme of Catholicism in the 21 st century, especially its relationship with such subjects as abortion, national elections, and the male psyche, is ever-present throughout the work. More traditional notions of unrequited love and a general distrust for the veracity of the written word (as well as the process of writing itself) are also explored. The speaker often references a meta-prosaic awareness and approach to this last point with the poem Why I Don’t Write Poetry (written four different ways). Inspiration for this collection comes from the works of Allen Ginsberg, Charles Bukowski, and Leonard Cohen, with influences by Li-Young Lee and Lisa Fay Coutley.