A SHINE Special Book Feature: A Mob of Kangaroos (Ridge Books) by Kip Knott

A Mob of Kangaroos, forthcoming from Ridge Books, is a poetic expose of the American political climate of recent years. From the first poem, “Tensile Strength,” I was completely drawn in to this new chapbook by Kip Knott. (As it happens, I have a poem by the very same name, but I think I much prefer Knott’s!) While many of the poems included in A Mob of Kangaroos are reflections on the January 6, 2021, insurrection, Knott touches on a variety of other social issues, as well – from school shootings to global unrest. Ultimately, there is a broad underlying message at work in this book – one of peace in the face of violence. Though it's hard to pick a favorite from Knott's poems, “Original Sin,” “Nightly News,” and “An American Prayer" were all stand-outs for me. Below, please take a moment to reflect on “Spring Constellations,” written for the tragic shooting in Uvalde, TX in 2022. To learn more about Knott’s writing, check out his Bio which follows. A Mob of Kangaroos (Ridge Books) will be available October 5, 2024.

Spring Constellations
Uvalde, Texas, May 24, 2022

I used to believe in the spirit animals and gods
that I found in constellations of stars.
But when I look at the sky tonight, I see
only bullet holes piercing the dark,

one for every child we’ve lost, two for all
the children we will keep on losing
until constellations bleed together and the night
sky becomes something other than night,

something horribly empty and horribly full.

KIP KNOTT is a 7th generation Appalachian who was born and
raised in Ohio. Over the years, he has called England, Alaska,
Michigan, Iowa, and Oklahoma home. In 2001, he found his
way back to Ohio, where he has lived ever since. He is the
author of eight previous poetry chapbooks and three full-
length collections of poetry, the most recent being The Other
Side of Who I Am (Kelsay Books, 2023). His first full-length
collection of stories, Some Birds Nest in Broken Branches, was
published in 2021 by Alien Buddha Press. His writing and
photography have appeared in Barren, Beloit Fiction Journal,
Best Microfiction 2024, Gettysburg Review, The Greensboro
Review, ONE ART, Poet Lore, The Sun, Virginia Quarterly
Review, and Wigleaf Top 50. His writing has been nominated
for Best of the Net and Pushcart prizes, and he is the
recipient of grants from the Ohio Arts Council for both
poetry and playwriting. Currently, he is a teacher,
photographer, and part-time art dealer who spends his free
time traveling throughout Appalachia and the Midwest
taking photographs and searching for lost art treasures.