In 1997 Matthew Welton received an Eric Gregory award for his poetry, the next day he threw his only copies of the prize winning poems into the Thames, he took the train back to Manchester and started writing again. This book includes everything he has written since.

Resounding in this collection is the distinctive voice of Bluesman poet Matthew Welton, the heir apparent to Brautigan via Dylan, who makes tunes out of words. These poems give delight by means of the shape of the lines on the page, the feel of the words on the tongue, and the subtle noises they plant in the ear. With nods to Bob Dylan, country and western music, and the spirit of Brautigan, his work chronicles sex at the seaside and the murmur of urban blues. The book's title poem spins 39 variations on sounds, images, and rhythms, creating a dazzling kaleidoscope of effects. His poem "Dozen," included in the book, appears in this year's "Forward Anthology.