SO, WHO'S COURAGE? (paperback)

tommy wyatt blake (he/they/ze) is the author of this book, "NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL HORROR!" (Gutslut Press), "take this quiz! 11 questions to see if you agree with courage as a metaphor" (Ghost City Press), and others. he thanks his cats—Mimi, Cosmo, Peanut, and Skitty—for late night interventions.

"the poems in tommy wyatt blake’s ‘So, Who's Courage?’ emanate a haunting nostalgia and ingenuity. these poems are raw, evocative, sonically rich, aesthetically broad yet unified in depiction of the Nowhere. a consistent, dirty, dizzy accomplishment. ‘So, Who's Courage?’ is an astonishing collection that shows exactly how much flexibility and depth the medium has to offer." 

— luna rey hall, author of "the patient routine" and "loudest when startled" 

"In ‘So, Who's Courage?,' tommy wyatt blake deftly interweaves playful forms and heart-rending prose to invoke the complicated entanglement of love, fear, and family so many of us made to grow up too early know all too well. Courage, our stalwart observer, acts as our eyes on the action when our minds scream to please look away. Moving through time, Courage narrates as patterns fuse into cravings. How thoroughly a mind breaks if only a kindness follows each tug on the reins. blake's prose is raw, spare, and riveting. As much as it pains you, you'll come back for more."

— Katharine Blair, founding editor, kith books 

"tommy wyatt blake never fails to make poetry exciting, fresh, and innovative. ‘So, Who's Courage?' delivers on the unwritten promise that you will always find something completely exciting in their work. I'm tempted to call this work their magnum opus, but tommy always keeps delivering something better with each publication. This is a work deserving of multiple 'binge watches.'" 

— Rami Obeid, author of "Marooned on the Shores of Malaise" 

"tommy wyatt blake’s first full length poetry book is a must-read. This continuation of their 2022 chapbook, ‘Peanut [the cat] auditions as Courage [...from Courage the Cowardly Dog],’ introduces two new heroes—Cosmo [the cat], and tommy himself—in the same intricate, episodic style. The love tommy has for Peanut and Cosmo quite literally leaps off the page, completely enveloping the reader in a sense of comfort and security, while navigating trauma and a virulent relationship. As always, tommy plays with form and language unlike anyone else, effortlessly weaving nostalgic pop culture and heartbreakingly real experiences to create a world that is both achingly familiar and incredibly unique." 

— Katherine J. Zumpano, poet