“The disciplines of poetry and physics might seem far afield from one another, but Ben-Oni draws on the odd properties of supersymmetry to create a dexterous collection of electric lyrics that defies conventions of science and syllabics alike. In fragments of text that float and swirl in staccato arrangements, Ben-Oni grapples with otherwise abstract principles made intimate in their idiosyncratic imagining: “They are not elegant. // I mean. My vibra- tions, my math. In particular. // The math holding me together is particularly faulty.” Projected outward, the poet’s vision captures relationships with breathtaking imagery, as when a poem slowly disentangles the speak- er’s connection with her father-in-law: “The air is grey. & osseous. Sheds soft down. My eyes water.” A series of “Poet Wrestling” poems define the book’s structure, and “Poet Wrestling with the Brxght Brxght Xyxs” recalls Ben-Oni’s previous collection, turn around, BRXGHT XYXS (2019), creating a multifaceted, intertextualverse} String Theory” invokes Hebrew gematria and the 11 dimensions hypothesized by string theory with equal ease, and serves as a cypher through which to understand preceding passages. An astonishing work for adventurous readers intrigued by science and literature.”

“[Rosebud] Ben-Oni’s poems conjure fierce feminist magic to create a simultaneous ode and lament of a book that reminds us we are the sum of all the parts of our selves: our roots and contradictory loves, all the things we’re born into and out of, the corporeal experiences we only sometimes choose—and she brings it all home with power, humor, grace, and lines like this: “This is my blood and this / my body this time / you won’t betray me / I am your kingdom come.””