In his second volume of poetry, Jace Paul takes a retrospective look at the works of his early years. Roughly divided into two eras, the "King's Road" years of his childhood and the time spent in a "Pleasant Street" apartment during college, the poems are deeply confessional and richly textured with strong and often conflicting emotions. From the award-winning "Breakfast" and "The Serpent," to poignant set-pieces like "Bill" and "L'Americain," Paul consistently employs colorful, straightforward language to capture his subjects and experiences. Though poetry has lost much of its appeal and value in the twenty-first century, Paul charges it with new energy by making it more about stories than images, more compassionate than abstract.