Catacombs of the Heart

Catacombs of the Heart explores the loveliest and the most dreadful corners of existence. Its bittersweet accounts will break your heart inspire you to see beauty in the mundane and even at times make you laugh out loud. A gorgeous and powerful collection through and through.-Zara Lisbon author of Fake Plastic GirlCaillers voice is unmistakable as he keenly observes his world both inside and out. In poems that view the ordinary as extraordinary Catacombs of the Heart is a collection that weaves together the emotions of our fragile and beautiful human coexistence. -Kali White VanBaale author of The Monsters We Make and The Good DivideIn this poetry collection the catacombs of the title are a fascinating repository of the things that comprise a life. These catacombs are a magical mystery tour swerving along Southern Californias freeways whereby the speaker encounters a tango of perfume and Bay Rum cologne kisses that taste like Friday or a homeless man explaining he imagines an assassination while watching Bye-Bye Birdie wouldnt be so bad. To one crucial line maybe my brain isnt a series of nerves and pink-gooey folds but a map a globe a reader can only nod in recognition. These poems with their stunning surprising details are bright shining revelatory globes.-Sue William Silverman author of If the Girl Never LearnsA deeply moving portrayal of the complexities of the human heart. We all carry our own catacombs and Caillers sharp but balanced command of language makes his poems accessible and relatable. They deliver the message that maybe none of us are as alone as we think.-Racquel Henry Founder of Black Fox Literary MagazineMathieu Cailler is an award-winning author whose poetry and prose have been widely featured in numerous national and international publications including the Los Angeles Times and The Saturday Evening Post. A graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts he is the winner of a Short Story America Prize and a Shakespeare Award. He is the author of the short-story collection Loss Angeles (Short Story America Press) which has been honored by the Hollywood New York London Paris Best Book and International Book Awards; the poetry collection May I Have This Dance? (About Editions) winner of the 2017 New England Book Festival Poetry Prize; and the childrens book The (Underappreciated) Life of Humphrey Hawley (About Editions) which has been nominated for the Caldecott Medal and the Newbery Award among other notable prizes. Catacombs of the Heart is his second full-length poetry collection. Another childrens book Hi Im Night is forthcoming from Olympia. For more information please visit mathieucailler.com.