In this sense, the book is a “coming-of-age” story and “spiritual quest” as much as a seething commentary on the catastrophe effected by the disease of contemporary racism and white supremacy.
The image that comes to my mind is a foot hovering above a stair. Marriage is the fabled next step, but engagement implies a kind of limbo, an almost-not-quite-there yet—the zero that comes before the one.
Tony Hoagland discusses his latest collection, Application for Release from the Dream, the value of poetry, why he doesn't fear becoming overconfident, and the definition of American spirituality.