Spare yet evocative, the poems in Mister Martini pair explorations of a father-son relationship with haiku-like martini recipes. The martini becomes a daring metaphor for this relationship as it moves from the son’s childhood to the father’s death. Each poem is a strong drink in its own right, and together they form a potent narrative of alienation and love between a father and son struggling to communicate.
“This is a truly original book. There’s nothing extra: sharp and clear and astonishing. Viva!”—Naomi Shihab Nye, judge and author of 19 Varieties of Gazelle