Zero at the bone

the long version

"Of the many ways of knowing the world, Stacie Cassarino in her elegant and poignant first book of poems, ZERO AT THE BONE, reminds us of the primacy of the senses. She tells us 'our mouths try to get it right' or that the 'mouth of the trees' will swallow us whole, by which she means taste is the most direct authenticator of experience and also the most defenseless because it's instruments of lips and tongue are eager. As a result, her great pre-occupation is with the vulnerability of human relationships, but as the title of the book suggests, Cassarino is fearless in her explorations of the risks. She knows 'you've got to live like everything will hurt you'" -- Michael Collier