It's Not Magic

the long version

"Snapshots of youth, displayed with verve and sparkling clarity, in a new collection of poems that "dazzles with its linguistic sleight of hand" (Richard Blanco). From his earliest memories of letting go of Mother's hand, to later jaunts through bars and a first encounters with one's future life partner, Sands writes in turns autobiographically and imaginatively, drawing on voices from his private world and the public sphere to create a portrait of childhood that is almost rebellious in its sheer, persistent joy. Selected by Richard Blanco, Jonathan Sands is the winner of the 2018 National Poetry Series"--