Says Rodrigo Toscano, author of The Charm & The Dread and The Cut Point, "In this marvelous debut collection, Nicholson embraces the challenges, hazards, and inherent beauty of the demos ('for my city, my people, my family') through a relentless diversity of aesthetic approaches. The poems never stop at mere effectivity of representation, but instead, always overflow their would-be realist boundaries. Around the Gate is also delightfully free of the illusionism of our times, where overcooked affect aims to reign over every nook of experience. In sharp contrast, Nicholson allows us to relaxedly explore the nails, the jointing, all of the beam work that went into each poem. This devotion to compositional sincerity engenders great trust between author and reader, and the payoff-sheer joy-is instant and lasting."
Dr. Mona Lisa Saloy, Louisiana Poet Laureate (2021-2023), author of Black Creole Chronicles, adds: "In Around the Gate, M.A. Nicholson's verse artfully engages the enigma of New Orleans, keeping hearts in a parade of memorable wordplay. Nicholson captures innocent eyes observing world stories, crafting the present where traditions are passed as gifts. These poems unveil the preciousness of days, as readers see life flip and unfold with the unexpected. From birthdays, saints' days, and barbecues to river horizons and storms-from skies or hearts-these poems entice readers to return again and again. Whether ekphrastic praise or 'leap-frog' eyes that flutter code, Nicholson's beautiful verses tell of life travels and contain recipes for the good life amid hurricanes and history."
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