"At the intersection of alcoholism and recovery, Erik Reece brings an unflinching eye and raw wit to this authentic look at one man's battle with addiction. Alternating between meditations on the natural world-from luna moths to kingfishers-and gritty snapshots of the county jail, rehab center, and people who occupy these spaces with him-from strippers to soldiers-Reece ruminates on dependence, pain, and the thin line between life and death. Evocative and unfiltered, Kingfisher Blues weaves his experiences of Montana prairies, Kentucky woods, and Cumberland creeks into stories shared with neighbors, ancestors, former friends, and enduring partners. On his complicated path to sobriety, Reece's anguish transforms into the stark revelations of a poet with "bile pumping through his blood." Kingfisher Blues gathers intensely personal yet universal poems that boldly confront demons and deities while remaining skeptical about either's existence. By conveying the despair-and serenity-found in the loneliness of the woods and tackling the frank reality of self-acceptance in the face of ugly truths, this collection offers a visceral encounter with the intertwined forces of nature, human struggle, and redemption"--