Matthew Olzmann is the author of three collections of poems: Mezzanines, which was selected for the Kundiman Prize, Contradictions in the Design, and, most recently, Ruta de las constelaciones (Alice James Books). His writing has appeared in Mejor poesía estadounidense, Kenyon Review, New England Review, Brevity, and elsewhere. He’s been awarded fellowships from the Kresge Arts Foundation, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, and the MacDowell Colony. In Ruta de las constelaciones, Olzmann uses the letter form to explore issues related to contemporary American society: the environment, race, love, grief, friendship, violence, and spirituality. The book is, essentially, a metaphysical tribute to both the Post Office and the act of letter writing as a way to understand and create meaningful connections with the world at large.