Rung by Rung

Coming May 4th, 2027 - Books will ship the final week of April Preorder now! The poems in Rung by Rung delve into the labor and ecology of Western Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh, centering both built and wild environments. Whether toiling under a broken-down car or soaring into the imaginary, this collection is a rare blend of lyrical and conversational, formal and free, funny and serious, high and low, decay and growth. Rung by Rung takes its readers foraging and fishing into abandoned malls and run-down hockey rinks, and interrogates masculinity and family drama from a working-class perspective with delicacy and precision. This powerful debut announces Mike Good as a compelling new voice in American poetry. Mike Good’s poetry has appeared in Bennington Review, Ploughshares, Radar, Sugar House Review, Waxwing, ZYZZYVA, and elsewhere. His writing has received support from the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, Aspen Words, and The Sun. He has an MFA from Hollins University and previously served as managing editor at Autumn House Press. He now works in nonprofit development and freelances as a book reviewer. Mike lives in Pittsburgh with his wife, daughter, and two dogs. Rung by Rung is his debut poetry collection.