Stray Dogs & Irreversible Cars, by James Grabill

Stray Dogs and Irreversible Cars consists of lyrical poems that explore our connections to the conditions and ecosystems that allow us to evolve. In the tradition of “deep image” poets, Grabill evokes the presence of elemental forces, self-organizing cells, and the animals and plants that sustain intact ecosystems. He also examines counter-constructive human assumptions that cause harm, such as climate disruption and the Sixth Mass Extinction.

Through passages that link factors like circulation, ecosystem services, and outmoded beliefs about nature, the longer poems invite us to “dive into the living soup of eons, where we can share in the physicality of all life” (Lawrence Smith, editor of Caliban). The poems revolve around a nexus of vivid imagery reminiscent of modern paintings—paintings that refuse to stay framed. The rhythms and sounds call to mind contemporary string quartets, but instead of instruments, there are four modes of perspective. As Smith notes, Grabill’s lyricism “surrounds us with a massive resonance” that “lifts us up into the great holy of totality.” In essence, Grabill calls for a new definition of humanity that embraces the entire project of evolving cells.