No Depression in Heaven

(Paperback)

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No Depression in Heaven asks how we respond to bad times. Is it better to look backward to a seemingly better past, longing for a way to make things great again Or is it best to stare into the abyss of the future, gambling that entry into heaven will finally provide release from a weary life Rejecting both of these dangerous horizons and choosing instead to remain resolutely in present uncertainty, No Depression in Heaven addresses our latter-day anxiety through poetic improvisation, using the text as a space of play and experimentation. Drawing inspiration from a variety of sources, both musical and poetic and taking its title from a famous Carter Family song it asks what it means to hold onto something toxic because of the comforts it affords, to daydream about days long past rather than gripping the reins of the present.

Written amid country music's ascent in popularity, No Depression in Heaven consists of ten "tracks" that each take up a rhythm, only to bend it out of shape. This is a book that pulls on its boots, tilts its hat, and brushes the dust off its Nudie suit before tipping language out of key.

Author Bio

ryan fitzpatrick is the author of four previous books of poetry, including Sunny Ways (Invisible, 2023) and Coast Mountain Foot (Talonbooks, 2021). Their creative nonfiction book Ace Theory, an essay-in-fragments about asexuality, will be published by Book*Hug in 2026. They are a former editor at filling Station magazine and helped organize the Flywheel reading series. They were the 2024-2025 Writer-in-Residence at the University of Alberta. You can find them at ryanfitzpatrick.ca.