07/24/2025
A gripping review of the powerful new poetry collection by our Editor-in-Chief Jorge Antonio Renaud, published by Texas Observer today!
An excerpt:
“This isn’t a collection of poems couched in hindsight; they’re about existing within the carceral system, even after release. They’re undated, and Renaud wrote them over the course of 15 years. Each has the detail, clarity, and emotional sharpness that suggest proximity to the scenes, but overall the collection shines with the wisdom of perspective. Renaud’s poetry masterfully brings the audience past the gates of the prison and keeps them there—through pain and discomfort—until they’re forced to understand the humanity inside the system.”
Longtime advocate Jorge Antonio Renaud lyricizes the grit of prison life in his first published collection of poems, The Restlessness of Bound Wrists.
