Right Up Against It

Lawrence Joseph’s new poetry collection, Precisely Now, chronicles American life through thirty-two poems that examine the country's visual and auditory landscape. Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, the book uses precise language to record observations ranging from the Hudson River to the speeches of politicians and the language used by lawyers and bankers.

The collection spans the period since Joseph’s previous book in 2018, beginning with scenes set before the coronavirus pandemic and concluding during what one poem describes as the 60th American present. Anthony Domestico notes that the poems utilize various visual and musical shapes, including couplets, to capture the reality of contemporary life.