Monet, Cocteau Twins, Natural Wine

In his third book this year, Matt Brand explores themes of ephemerality and reflection, turning a book of poems into an exhibition space of impressionistic tableaus. As in the author's prior collections, time and our relationship to it still take center stage here. However, in these poems, Brand paints with a palette of emotions untypical for his prior work—joy, epiphany, celebration, contentment. This book-sized art exhibition makes pitstops in a James Benning film, Walter Benjamin’s critical theory, a wine fair in France, a first date in Berlin, a Jane’s Addiction music video, a long-distance COVID film club, and a Bernie Sanders meme. The outcome is a text that highlights the richness of our finite passing moments and the gratitude that can be found therein.