Distributed for Tupelo Press
A Camouflage of Specimens and Garments
In her third full-length collection of poems, Jennifer Militello weaves fragmentary letters addressing illness and struggle through ventriloquisms of mythological heroes and dead composers, ancient goddesses and murdered girls. Stylized “dictionaries” open into lay-ered definitions meant like magical clothing or tutelary amulets to provide shelter from a world that cannot be controlled. As the poet stitches together a plethoric identity to ex-plore disguises, A Camouflage of Specimens and Garments casts a smokescreen of selves.
Table of Contents
Dear B, /3
Song of Interrogation / 7
A Dictionary of the Garment /8
A Dictionary at the Periphery /10
A Dictionary of Having Been Prey in the Voice of the Grandmother /12
A Dictionary of Preserving the Hydrangea’s Bloom /14
A Dictionary of the Symphony in the Voice of Ludwig van Beethoven /15
A Dictionary with Foresight as 20/20 /16
A Dictionary of Venery in the Voice of Artemis /18
A Dictionary of Faith /19
A Dictionary of Following and Fading in the Voice of Eurydice /20
A Gospel of the Human Condition /21
Dear B, /25
Dear B, /26
Dear B, /27
Corrosion Therapy / 31
Criminal How-To /32
A Dictionary of Wooing and Deception in the Voice of the Sociopath /34
A Dictionary of What Can Be Learned in the Voice of the Sociopath’s Lover /36
Conspiracy to Commit Larceny: A Recipe /37
Conspiracy to Commit Larceny /38
A Dictionary of Mechanics, Memory, and Skin in the Voice of Marion Parker /39
A Letter to the Coroner in the Voice of Marion Parker /40
A Dictionary of Keeping Quiet between the Monstrous and Holy in the Voice of Marion Parker /41
Working with the Instrument /43
Dear B, /47
Dear B, /48
Dear B, /49
A Dictionary at the Turn of the Millennium / 53
A Dictionary of Almost Drowning / 54
A Dictionary of Limbo /55
A Dictionary of Resignation /57
A Dictionary of Filming the Inside of a Tornado /58
A Dictionary of Sun and Sea in the Voice of Icarus /59
A Dictionary in the Voice of Icarus /60
A Dictionary of Wandering and Homesickness in the Voice of Odusseus /67
A Dictionary Measuring Cause and Effect / 62
A Dictionary of Feigning Survival /63
A Dictionary of the Dead in the Voice of the Living Collective /61
A Dictionary of Perishing /65
A Dictionary of the Afterlife /66
Dear B, /69
Notes /71
Acknowledgments /73
Song of Interrogation / 7
A Dictionary of the Garment /8
A Dictionary at the Periphery /10
A Dictionary of Having Been Prey in the Voice of the Grandmother /12
A Dictionary of Preserving the Hydrangea’s Bloom /14
A Dictionary of the Symphony in the Voice of Ludwig van Beethoven /15
A Dictionary with Foresight as 20/20 /16
A Dictionary of Venery in the Voice of Artemis /18
A Dictionary of Faith /19
A Dictionary of Following and Fading in the Voice of Eurydice /20
A Gospel of the Human Condition /21
Dear B, /25
Dear B, /26
Dear B, /27
Corrosion Therapy / 31
Criminal How-To /32
A Dictionary of Wooing and Deception in the Voice of the Sociopath /34
A Dictionary of What Can Be Learned in the Voice of the Sociopath’s Lover /36
Conspiracy to Commit Larceny: A Recipe /37
Conspiracy to Commit Larceny /38
A Dictionary of Mechanics, Memory, and Skin in the Voice of Marion Parker /39
A Letter to the Coroner in the Voice of Marion Parker /40
A Dictionary of Keeping Quiet between the Monstrous and Holy in the Voice of Marion Parker /41
Working with the Instrument /43
Dear B, /47
Dear B, /48
Dear B, /49
A Dictionary at the Turn of the Millennium / 53
A Dictionary of Almost Drowning / 54
A Dictionary of Limbo /55
A Dictionary of Resignation /57
A Dictionary of Filming the Inside of a Tornado /58
A Dictionary of Sun and Sea in the Voice of Icarus /59
A Dictionary in the Voice of Icarus /60
A Dictionary of Wandering and Homesickness in the Voice of Odusseus /67
A Dictionary Measuring Cause and Effect / 62
A Dictionary of Feigning Survival /63
A Dictionary of the Dead in the Voice of the Living Collective /61
A Dictionary of Perishing /65
A Dictionary of the Afterlife /66
Dear B, /69
Notes /71
Acknowledgments /73