My First Painting Will Be "The Accuser"

“Jenks’ poetry achieves its textual striation on the level of tone by shifting between narrative and sound-based passages, as well as between stretched-out lyrical sections and jagged, cutting lines.”—Joel Bettridge

This sophomore effort from Jenks expands on the disjointed lyrics of On the Cave You Live In by moving further into equal mixtures of social critique and sonic pattern.

Philip Jenks grew up in West Virginia. He completed a master’s degree in creative writing at Boston University, and his ongoing engagement with Appalachian culture and politics led him to the University of Kentucky, where he worked at the Appalachian Center. In 2002, Jenks received his doctorate in political science. He is currently an assistant professor and freshman inquiry coordinator at Portland State University.