gifted by the publisher

Following a depressed & alcoholic poet searching for his purpose working in a children's hospital, GAZES is a short yet compelling read that reminds me of MARTYR! (Kaveh Akbar). Mencarelli juxtaposes the struggle to find meaning in life and sick children fighting for their lives with sparse and powerful prose. GAZES is a moving love letter to poetry, emphasizing its power to give us the strength to bear witness and the courage to desire. The final moments in the story are particularly moving, with this quote that moved me to tears. "I'll lose the light of this moment, whether a little at a time or all at once, I don't know. But I'll bear witness to it forever because just one of these moments is enough to illuminate a whole life."