Charles, Jos

Not as strikingly original in concept and language as feeld, this new collection adheres to a more personal, intimate aesthetic (“Our separate smoke/ caught/ in the same ascent”) that may or may not connect with any given reader. Still, Charles remains a serious experimental poet who has tasked herself with the challenge of creating “a language capable of itself.”

This book will shape the conversation on poetry and can make other collections feel ordinary, but its challenges are best left to serious poetry lovers.