Because is a narrative long poem that explores, with vividness and precision, the shifting and uncertain landscapes of the author’s childhood memory. Propelled by the word “because,” Mensch’s poem is a litany for a damaged childhood whose retelling unfolds through a series of precise, jewel-like scenes. As generous and empathetic as it is unsparing, Because bears witness to the author’s experience of an abuse that continued for many years. Unflinchingly clear-eyed in its account, Because explores the vulnerabilities and dangers of childhood in a way that succumbs neither to self-pity nor platitudes, but instead finds consolation in the healing power of its own narrative act. 

Published in 2018 by W. W. Norton & Company in the United States.
144 pages / 5,8 x 0,7 x 8,6 inches