'McSweeney is one of our most dynamic poets' Nick Ropatrazone, The Millions

'I've never read anything by Joyelle McSweeney that wasn't totally exciting' Dennis Cooper

One of LitHub's Most Anticipated Books for 2024

In this follow-up to her award-winning collection, Toxicon and Arachne, Joyelle McSweeney proposes a link between style and survival, even in the gravest of circumstances. Setting herself the task of writing a poem a day and accepting a single icon as her starting point, however unlikely - River Phoenix, Mary Magdalene, a backyard skunk - McSweeney follows each inspiration to the point of exhaustion and makes it through each difficult day.

In frank, mesmeric lyrics, Death Styles navigates the opposing forces of survival and grief, finding a way to press against death's interface, to step the wrong way out of the grave.

"Whether keening or mundane, hysterical or technical, these pages follow the mind's motion with associative detours... a poignant and unforgettable portrait of grief" - Publishers Weekly

"An extraordinary book by a poet that rocks my world - and language" - via X

"A book of wonder; a language swimming in air, breathing in water" - via X