"Rarely has a collection of essays assembled over decades felt this unified, this consistent in voice. Fenton Johnson has taken the measure of his experience and the jangled world around him with honesty, clarity, great-heartedness and thoughtfulness. Plus, he writes beautiful sentences."
—Phillip Lopate
"With a deft hand and trained ear for storytelling, he explores growing up Catholic in Kentucky, the complex nature of same-gender eros, and the desire to belong.... 'From understanding grows compassion; from compassion grows real, enduring, life-affirming change,' writes Johnson. These essays trust in the power of communication to build the capacity for change." —Publishers Weekly
"In taut, sometimes-tense prose, Johnson shows us so many varieties of human pain as well as many glimmers of hope." —Kirkus Reviews
"From the nature of art, the nature of beauty, to the meaning of Burning Man, Tina Turner’s sensuality, and monks in contemporary society, Johnson’s interests are far-ranging and engaging. Both personal and academic, they’re the product of a man who celebrates life through words.” —Arizona Daily Star
"Rarely has a collection of essays assembled over decades felt this unified, this consistent in voice. Fenton Johnson has taken the measure of his experience and the jangled world around him with honesty, clarity, great-heartedness and thoughtfulness. Plus, he writes beautiful sentences."
—Phillip Lopate
