Instructions for an Animal Body by Kelly Gray

Instructions for an Animal Body by Kelly Gray, Moontide Press 2020

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In Instructions for an Animal Body, Kelly Gray leads readers on a journey where body is both the death ground of grief and the birthplace of resilience. Using natural history to flip human constructs around predator and prey, violence and sensuality, Gray reimagines a lush modern mythology. From the work of vultures to weather systems between legs, these poems will transport you into a gritty world where boundaries between beasts and humans merge and the beautiful monster-within reigns supreme.

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In the words of critic Ralph Pennel, "Instructions for an Animal Body is itself an animal body; the seams, the cover, the binding that holds the pages together are a construct of an emergent identity. This would be a difficult task by any measure, and it is excellently executed by the author in this engaging, rich collection."