National Network for Equitable Library Service

In poetry that strikes a delicate balance between candour and lament., Mockingbird tracks the aftershocks of a failed marriage through a variety of self-portraits. Derek Webster’s speakers itemize their regrets and fears while keeping sentimentality in check and the result is a first book of exceptional emotional power. Indeed, the distinctive and nuanced shapes of Webster’s exquisitely controlled lyrics highlight the great achievement of his debut: a clipped, often aphoristic line-making stripped down to cold truths. The struggle isn’t about being yourself, these poems argue, but about deciding which version of yourself to accept—and surviving the decision with equanimity. “Your small life wants to live in you / despite everyone’s attempts to do it in.”