{"product_id":"knock-wood-a-memoir-in-essays-9781945814969","title":"Knock Wood: A Memoir in Essays","description":"\u003cb\u003eWinner of the 2018 Dzanc Nonfiction Prize\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"\u003ci\u003eKnock Wood\u003c\/i\u003e is an absolute wonder, and Jennifer Militello is at the top of her form.\" \u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eAndre Dubus III, author of \u003ci\u003eTownie\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe House of Sand and Fog\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In \u003ci\u003eKnock Wood\u003c\/i\u003e, the first nonfiction collection by award-winning poet Jennifer Militello, a knock on wood to ward off illness sets in motion a chain of events and memories that call into question the very structure of time. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Anchored by a wooden ring, Militello explores her life through the lens of three intertwined elements: the story of a mentally ill aunt in an abusive marriage; a high school romance with a boy who eventually dies of a heroin overdose; and an extra-marital affair characterized by an otherworldly connection. Cause and effect reverse as significant events--an arrest for a felony committed in high school, a trip by train to meet an illicit lover, and a suicide attempt on those same New York tracks--seem to influence one another outside of time and space. As Militello delicately threads each memory to the next, she explores the themes of family damage and the precarious ties of love. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Militello has been recognized many times for her work in poetry and prose, including honors such as the Yeats Poetry Prize from the W.B. Yeats Society of New York, the Betty Gabehart Poetry Prize, and the Tupelo Press First Book Award. Her collection \u003ci\u003eBody Thesaurus\u003c\/i\u003e was named one of the top poetry books of 2013 by Best American Poetry.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMilitello, Jennifer:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Jennifer Militello is the author of \u003ci\u003eA Camouflage of Specimens and Garments\u003c\/i\u003e (Tupelo Press, 2016), called \"positively bewitching\" by Publishers Weekly, \u003ci\u003eBody Thesaurus\u003c\/i\u003e (Tupelo Press, 2013), named one of the top books of 2013 by Best American Poetry, and \u003ci\u003eFlinch of Song\u003c\/i\u003e, winner of the Tupelo Press First Book Award. Her poetry and nonfiction have been published widely in such journals as \u003ci\u003eAmerican Poetry Review, The Kenyon Review, Mid-American Review, The Nation, The New Republic, The Paris Review, Poetry, \u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eTin House\u003c\/i\u003e. She teaches in the MFA program at New England College.","brand":"Dzanc Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52103865205010,"sku":"9781945814969","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_4992dc20-564e-4b2c-a1de-9a566c8915d1.jpg?v=1773159174","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/knock-wood-a-memoir-in-essays-9781945814969","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}