"U"
by Johnny Hernandez
handmade and numbered

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"U" is a collection of twenty-three loose-leaf poems, hand-cut, numbered and "bound" in sleeves of translucent vellum. The poems themselves range from the structurally traditional to works nearly unrecognizable as "poems" on the page. The work draws upon a stunning breadth of source material, including genetics, Greek mythology, subparticle physics, music, and everyday conversation. Blasts of language fill these pages, ranging from the lyrical ("there are trees of death standing/to lighten the burden/of blood. there sways the grid/dragged inward constellations/Hold stern against silent boards") to the stark ("he didn't have to make me feel like shit") - often on the same page. Each of these blasts, whether fragments, symbols, or fully-realized poems, serves as a piece of a larger puzzle, a clue to a intellectual mystery. U is not only a collection of poetry and graphic art, but a multilingual labyrinth, an exploration of linguistic relationships and observations that manages to demonstrate a dazzling erudition while remaining playful. Few texts invite this degree of engagement - the reader will find himself turning to outside equipment - mirrors, reference books, pianos - to decipher Hernandez's intentions.

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JTH was born and raised in and around southern California. He currently resides in Emeryville and is the recent recipient of the Academy of American Poets award for 2008. A recent graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, JTH is pursuing an MFA degree from Mills College. "U" is his first published collection.