Because is a narrative long poem that explores, with vividness and precision, the shifting and uncertain landscapes of childhood memory.

Propelled by the powerful litany of the word "because," Mensch's poem builds a heartbreaking tale that is at once generous, empathetic, and unsparing.

Unfolding through a series of precise, jewel-like scenes, Because bears witness to the author's experience of an abuse that continued for many years.

Unflinchingly clear-eyed in its account, Because explores the vulnerabilities and dangers of childhood in a way that succumbs neither to self-pity nor platitudes, but instead finds consolation in the healing power of its own narrative act.

Author: Joshua Mensch
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co.
Page Count: 144pp
Size: 5.75 x 8.5
Notes: hardcover
Date of Publication: May 15, 2018
ISBN: 978-0393635225