Vitals and Other Signs of Life

David A. Goodrum's debut book of poetry, Vitals and Other Signs of Life, reflects a deep love of family with all their ordeals and imperfections, a steely-eyed view of mortality, and a sense of astonishment and relationship to nature.

In the book's first section, aptly titled "Vitals" the poet portrays the emotional impact of life's milestones through narrative poems on childhood, illness, tragedy, parenting, divorce, and loss. Goodrum then bluntly faces aging and impermanence in the next section of the book, "Fully Aware of the Falling Fistfuls of Dirt Still to Follow," before leading the reader into the final section of the book "Somewhere between the Sleep of Roiling Water and the Sleep of Ice," with his lyrical poems anchored in nature, offering us an intimate view of our external world while connecting us to our inner spirit.

Early Praise:

"In these vibrant poems of identity, nostalgia, generational change, family, and American culture, Goodrum exhibits a true talent for imbuing mundane details with authenticity, layered meanings, and linguistic beauty. Filled with rich and accessible language, these poems are intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging, written by someone with clear eyes and an open, curious heart."

-John Sibley Williams, author of As One Fire Consumes Another

"...each element adds to each other to create an elegant poetic whole."

-Marc Janssen, founder of the Salem Poetry Project

"Vitals and Other Signs of Life takes a brave look at one man's red thorns, transforming the truth of them into beautifully wrought poems."

-Emily Ransdell, author of One Finch Singing

"Reading the poems in these pages, I feel nourished by the harvest his persistent hand-tilling has produced."

-Eleanor Berry, author of Works of Wildfire