Rise of the Trust Fall-Mindy Nettifee (106 pages)

Mindy Nettifee is a California based performance poet who visited Iowa City a couple months ago. I went to see her read and she was really amazing, so I bought her book (and got it signed!) Of course I only just now read it. But the poems did not disappoint. In Iowa City there's this very distinct culture of poetry that argues against being too overly emotional, too autobiographical, or too up-front and direct. Nettifee is all of these things, but her excess spills over beautifully. Every poem walks up to you and starts speaking without breaking your gaze. Whether writing about "all the things she can't fix" or her last five break-ups, Nettifee offers a fearlessness and wit together equal effortless grace. I highly recommend her book, especially if you're in a bit of a rough patch.