"andrew whitmer's poems are packed with mystery, heartbreak, and even a touch of humor. from secrets scrawled on napkins, hidden in lunchboxes, to aliens coming to orange groves and laments for roadkill (and, by extension, humankind), this collection presents the reader with gut-punching surprises in sharp lines and surreal images. they'll leave you puzzling over them for a long time after you've read them, in the best of ways."

--couri johnson, author of feraltales

"in andrew whitmer's muskets for the bear problem, you'll find yourself immersed in a mind that is always ranging far and wide as well as deep, with lyrical writing that lifts right off the page and fills the room with music. once you start listening, you won't want to stop. a brilliant debut."

--christopher barzak, author of wonders of the invisible world