Winner of the 2014 Brittingham Prize in Poetry, selected by Naomi Shihab Nye
The word tyrant carries negative connotations, but in this new collection, Joanne Diaz tries to understand what makes tyranny so compelling, even seductive. These dynamic, funny, often poignant poems investigate the nature of tyranny in all of its forms political, cultural, familial, and erotic. Poems about Stalin, Lenin, and Castro appear beside poems about deeply personal histories. The result is a powerful exploration of desire, grief, and loss in a world where private relationships are always...

Little magazines have often showcased the best new writing in America. Historically, these idiosyncratic, small-circulation outlets have served the dual functions of representing the avant-garde of literary expression while also helping many emerging writers become established authors. Although changing technology and the increasingly harsh financial realities of publishing over the past three decades would seem to have pushed little magazines to the brink of extinction, their story is far more complicated.
In this collection, Ian Morris and Joanne Diaz gather the reflections of...

When JoAnne Diaz had her ninth child and moved into a new home a week later she experienced her second bout of postpartum depression. As opposed to her first mild bout of postpartum depression with her fourth child this bout was quite severe landing her in the emergency room. Enjoying a new baby and the home of dreams was supposed to be the happiest of times but instead it became the scariest time in her life. Faced with a wave of postpartum depression for months on end JoAnne battled what many mothers of newborns face: intrusive thoughts, severe anxiety and depression. During her recovery...