Parts of a man

This collection of poems explores intersections of identities and societies in the construction of a man's understanding of himself. Issues tackled include gender and sexuality, class and regional identities, and place in a family. Poetry is used to express these intersections because of the genre's ability to address complex emotional and metaphorical issues concerning the topics addressed, as well as poetry's power to construct history through song, image, and narrative. Indeed, narrative is key in the making of the individual poems as well as the collection itself, as the piece is organized so that each poem builds with those surrounding it, using small portions of identity to create a whole narrative.