{"product_id":"if-nothing-paperback","title":"If Nothing - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eMatthew Nienow\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eIf Nothing\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e is an honest reckoning with the grip of addiction, the expectations of masculinity, and the tug of family.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen mid-life collides with the precariousness of alcoholism, the vulnerability of opening oneself to a second coming-of-age becomes an ecstatic cry in poems that confront pain and the need for forgiveness. An unvarnished and direct accounting of the journey to sobriety, of struggles with mental health, and with the challenges of longing and loss, \u003cem\u003eIf Nothing \u003c\/em\u003etraverses the sting of shame, the earnestness of joy, and the desire for absolution. Kaveh Akbar, author of \u003cem\u003eMartyr! \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eCalling a Wolf a Wolf, \u003c\/em\u003esays: \"Matthew Nienow shows us in \u003cem\u003eIf Nothing\u003c\/em\u003e that he is a poet of birth, of making and making anew... This is powerful medicine, salve for earnest souls in an era of ethical infantilization. There is grace here, real grace made wise by having known real grief; \u003cem\u003eIf Nothing \u003c\/em\u003eis a lasting book.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMatthew Nienow\u003c\/b\u003e lives in Port Townsend, Washington with his wife and two sons. Professionally trained as a wooden boatbuilder, he spent over a decade building small boats and custom wooden paddle boards. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eHouse of Water\u003c\/i\u003e (Alice James, 2016) and three earlier chapbooks. His poems have appeared in \u003ci\u003eThe Georgia Review, New England Review, \u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003ePoetry\u003c\/i\u003e, which awarded him a 2013 Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowship. He has also received fellowships, grants, and support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Elizabeth George Foundation, Artist Trust of Washington State, the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, and 4Culture of Seattle. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHe holds a BA in English from St. Olaf College, an MFA in Poetry from the University of Washington, and an Associate degree in Traditional Small Craft from the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding. He is pursuing a Masters in Mental Health Counseling, working on several new manuscripts, and serving on the Editorial Board of Alice James Books.\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 100\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.39 x 8.82 x 5.98 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e January 14, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42733749436479,"sku":"9781949944693","price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0105\/8226\/1823\/files\/9d666b7435933b043e5ba86376708ba7.webp?v=1765137238","url":"https:\/\/dhl-adrianne.myshopify.com\/products\/if-nothing-paperback","provider":"BBB","version":"1.0","type":"link"}