The Constant Hum of Elsewhere - Jen Rouse

At the heart of The Constant Hum of Elsewhere is a conversation with the queen of confessional writing, Anne Sexton. These poems break open from the mind of a woman who is "never quite the right fit / for here or there." Even in her own mind's anguish, the speaker still positions herself as caretaker of those who should care for her, and Sexton becomes someone from whom she struggles to separate herself. Approaching midlife with no relief in sight, the speaker of this collection grapples with the construct of mental illness and challenges the language we use to mask it, challenges the efficacy of therapy, and addresses the struggle to arrive at or dismiss a culture of belief, hope, god.