A mesmerizing collection of eerie, image-rich poems that explore the fleeting nature of existence and friendship, inspired by the world of art and artists. The Plague Doctor combines poetry with mesmerizing ink drawings by Natalia Ardus, art by Mark Kulas and Tony Rubino, and photography by the author. Poet and musician Lisa Marie Simmons writes in her foreword to the collection, "I've read this collection three, four, then five times. In my office, in the tour van and the green room, after yoga, and once bundled up beneath an ancient olive tree. Despite those many deep dives, it never seems enough to complete this foreword. So I returned-six, seven, ten times. Each reading has me focusing on something new, and a year from now, I know more discoveries will be made as my perspective shifts with my own experiences. This is one of the many things I love about poetry and, in particular, Poet Laureate of Dublin, California, James Morehead's poetry."
"With an ekphrastic eye for everything from street art to cherry blossom petals amassed on damp grass, James Morehead's poetry pulses with vibrant detail. Whether it's Jimmy Page strumming a mandolin or ruminations of a sourdough starter, Morehead's speaker is equally intent on listening. In his new collection, The Plague Doctor, this poet has created a vivid document that captures what it means to be perpetually inspired by the world in all its facets." - Tina Cane, Poet Laureate of Rhode Island and author of Body of Work and Year of the Murder Hornet
"The literary community has been waiting for a collection like this, which moves beyond simple ekphrasis, creating poetry that illuminates art as well as the reader's understanding of what it means to be human." - Kristina Marie Darling, Editor-in-Chief, Tupelo Press & Tupelo Quarterly
"The poems ricochet off the visual images in unexpected ways, so that this book - where word and image converge - reminds me of a pinball machine. As in that song by The Who, Morehead is our 'pinball wizard.' Whether writing free verse, haikus, or ballad-like rhymes, he 'sure plays a mean pinball.' Morehead creates his own boisterous 'cacophony of bells / that flash in reds, greens, and golds.'" - Donald Platt, author of Swansdown