The Malevolent Volume

"Justin Phillip Reed’s debut book of poetry, Indecency, won the 2018 National Book Award, and The Malevolent Volume is his second collection. Reed uses a narrative structure as well as a visual one to weave a deep and connected universe of references, from Nas lyrics to the monster in Ridley Scott’s film Alien, as well as Hillary Clinton’s 1996 use of the phrase “super-predator.” Nature creeps in, as does musicality and dreaminess, quickly transporting the reader into a world of Reed’s careful crafting."