Ignatz, by Monica Youn

A collection inspired by the 1930s cartoon characters created by George Herriman, Krazy Kat and the mouse Ignatz, forever locked in a tortured and madcap love duel. Youn's second book of poems, a National Book Award finalist, investigate the meanderings and trickery of love and relationships, of belief and understanding/misunderstanding, of legend and how belief sustains and fools us, and with spare yet significant language. This collection feels solidly structured around the inspiration of those characters, and as such gives a sense of completeness, though some poems are mere words strung on the page. An impressive, elegant and stirring second book of poems.