Kerry Trautman has a gift for shimmying away the veneer of seemingly simple moments to expose the depth and beauty of what lies beneath, the complexities and hidden passions. Unknowable Things celebrates the common and the spectacular on equal terms.
“And so the poem starts as many others—
at the kitchen sink, as peaches drip down
elbow to drain…”
Trautman’s poems are at once grand and intimate, unfolding in the mind like a nagging idea that has finally come clear. Some are lilting and playful, others heavy with a stark sobriety— all reveal themselves gracefully, confidently, without apprehension. To be honest, it’s what I’ve come to expect from Kerry Trautman’s poetry, but still she continues to surprise. What a lovely book this is.
—Adrian Lime, poet and maker of magical jeeps
