I woke up to words today, by Daniella Deutsch

What if every moment in our lives existed forever – breathing fiercely inside of the coordinates they occurred in? In Daniella Deutsch’s world, they do.

In her grand, yet deeply personal and grounded second book, Deutsch delves into what she has termed geographical poetry. She defines not the New York City, but her New York City. Whether it is the room where a profound piece of art hung and captured her heart, the highway where she fell madly in love, or the corner she passes every morning without fail, she views the crosswalks as companions and the buildings as protectors. Deutsch paints the city as a playground of striking solitude, yet also a place rampant with human connection. Deutsch claims the city as both her greatest love affair and also a mother figure – forgiving, healing, and unconditional.

Deutsch’s poems mirror the city buildings: dense at a first glance yet filled with breath and candid honesty on a closer look. On a map, every detail matters, and Deutsch has chosen to share with her readers the most intimate coordinates of her life thus far. Weaving together her story with both the magic of her closest relationships and the city’s strangers, Deutsch inspires us to reflect on our New York, whatever, wherever, and whenever that may be. She does not fail to leave us wondering, what coordinates take us home?