Paces the Cage Sean D. Henry-Smith

S*an D. Henry-Smith's second full-length book of poems, Paces the Cage, lifts off from their previous book by expanding an already-queered language to near breaking point. Through the complexities of Henry-Smith's personal experiences and the use of a poetically fragmented voice, the literal and metaphorical are remixed in real time. Henry-Smith's occasional inclusion of ambient sounds, stage directions, lighting cues and an environmentally musical language helps to build a rich auditory landscape that enhances the immersive quality of the poems, creating a deep and evocative experience by this adventurous and endlessly exciting poet. The spontaneous shifts in tone, style and subject matter offer a mirror to personal and historical narratives of oppression, adversity, the act of speaking and what it means to be truly heard by your community of fellow creators.