Whole Night Through

Set in the stark, economically depressed Mojave Desert town near the largest military base in the country and amidst a choir of true-to-life characters, L. I. Henley's persona poem sequence tells the story of young Ella and her Marine husband, Jake. Loosely based on a compilation of real homicides, the poems take us deep into the unnerving underbelly of rural life. Praise For Whole Night Through... I'm in awe of L. I. Henley's book-length narrative / persona-poem-sequence / novel-in-lyrics / poem-for-voices / dream-screenplay -- we can invent a genre-label later, but the point is: Whole Night Through is a compelling, enticing read from first to last, a lyric-dramatic achievement by a truly visionary American poet. Like the best of her generation, L. I. Henley's language is fast and her imagery dense, but her ear is always out for the fierce silences of her characters' fears and desires. And she has heart -- every poem-monologue here, no matter how violent, shows deep compassion for the men and women who wander through her desert landscape, confused but in possession of a fierce grace. I hope this book gets Henley the wide readership she deserves. The 21st century needs a vision like hers.--James Cushing, San Luis Obispo Poet Laureate