Bite By Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees

Indie Bestseller List
Indie Next List

“Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s Bite by Bite is an intimate invitation to come sit at her table; each essay is studded with richly rendered traditions and unexpected anecdotes that range from tender to hilarious to downright devastating. A feast of a collection.” ―Elizabeth Acevedo

“Over the years, Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s writing has fed me in ways I didn’t even know were possible. So it is appropriate, then, that she has now turned her attention to the world of food, which she writes about with such remarkable dexterity… It uses food to talk about what it means to be human—to love, to learn, to laugh, to lose. Nezhukumatathil’s writing has changed the way I look at food, and made me infinitely more grateful for those whom I share it with. I love this book.” ―Clint Smith

“Essay collections are excellent vacation reads, able to be picked up and put down without interrupting a narrative. Each of these short essays is a perfect little bite, exploring the ways food sparks memory and meaning in our lives.” — USA Today

AVAILABLE NOW:

SIGNED COPY // Publisher // Indiebound // Bookshop // Barnes & Noble // Amazon

Oceanic

“Nezhukumatathil’s poems contain elegant twists of a very sharp knife. She writes about the natural world and how we live in it, filling each poem, each page with a true sense of wonder.” ―Roxane Gay

“Reading Nezhukumatathil’s poems is a practice in keenly observing life’s details. The poet writes with a romantic sensibility about a world saturated with a deep sense of loss. Recommended for all poetry readers, especially those interested in ecopoetry.” ―Library Journal

Read an excerpt: “Invitation” + “On Listening to Your Teacher Take Attendance”

Buy a Copy:

Publisher // Indiebound // Bookshop // Barnes & Noble // Amazon

Lucky Fish

“Cultural strands are woven into the DNA of her strange, lush… poems. Aphorisms …from another dimension.” ―The New York Times

“Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s third book affirms her reputation as one of the master miners of the curios fact in science, history, nature and culture. With unparalleled ease, she’s able to weave each intriguing detail into a nuanced, thought-provoking poem that also reads like a startling modern-day fable.” –Poetry Foundation

Read an excerpt: “The Mascot of Beavercreek High Breaks Her Silence” + “Are All the Break-Ups in Your Poems Real?”

Buy a Copy:

Publisher // Indiebound // Bookshop // Barnes & Noble // Amazon

At the Drive in Volcano

“Tight, economical poems that contain just the right amount of darkness and elegance…these poems are extravagant and accessible, fresh and funny.” congenial and sharp.” –Judges Citation, 2007 Balcones Prize

“…A witty (and funny) knack of juxtaposing things into charming unfamiliarity, and lovely, truth-telling musicality.” –The North American Review

Read an excerpt: “Why I Crave Ribs Tonight” + “First Anniversary, with Monkey”

Buy a Copy:

Publisher // Indiebound // Bookshop // Barnes & Noble // Amazon

Miracle Fruit

“Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s debut comes through in light bursts of clear sensuality and joy.” –Publisher’s Weekly

“Every line is alive with the excitement of what can be known about the world, every poem bursting with an eagerness to share it.” –Judge’s Citation, Tupelo Press First Book Prize

Read an excerpt: “What I Learned from the Incredible Hulk” + “Small Murders”

Buy a Copy:

Publisher // Barnes & Noble // Amazon

Lace & Pyrite

Originally published by Organic Weapon Arts, Lace & Pyrite: Letters from Two Gardens, captures seasonal changes and life unfolding from the perspective of two poet-gardeners: Ross Gay and Aimee Nezhukumatathil. What began as a poem correspondence between the two friends in the late July swelter of 2011 blossomed into a beautiful collection of epistolary poetry. This NEW reprint of Lace & Pyrite: Letters from Two Gardens comprises all of its original poetry AND includes a bonus interview between the two poets.

From the introduction: “We began a poem correspondence, based on no prompts, no assignments— just that we were to send a poem at least once a week, maybe more if we were lucky. No commentary needed. Happy mail.

After almost a year of writing to each other, together we boarded a train bound for the Millay Colony for the Arts in the Berkshires in upstate New York. There, we met with several other writer friends (who were also working on independent projects of their own), and revised and finished this series of epistolary poems. Our collaborative chapbook, LACE & PYRITE is how we made sense and record of a full year from our respective gardens.

There’s bounty, yes; but there’s loss and sorrow too: like a garden, like a life. But as the leaf buds start swelling, as they start, even, unfurling—right around the corner!—it’s time to focus on bounty: sing at the crocuses, get those peas in. Make friends with someone who has a rhubarb patch. See if the community garden has a plot with your name on it. Find someone to help navigate this world in words. In fact, we’re digging into another poetry collaboration about trees as we type this, and hope it will be ready soon!”

—Ross Gay & Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Buy a Copy:

Get Fresh Press