Wunderkammer Paperback – March 4, 2026

In Wunderkammer, Matthew Friday masterfully walks the tight rope of close-up and cosmic, humanity’s beauty and underbelly, nature’s chorus of joy despite calamitous change. With language as arresting as “You perch on the riparian bush, / on the edge of a searching hunger,” (“American Kestrel”); “My one-year-old hangs from my wife’s back, / arms outstretched in a crucifix of fatigue,” (“Shared Language”); and “Even decay has its own sweet song,” (“Song for Decaying Angler Fish”), this first collection is one to learn from and treasure. This poet is one to applaud.—Ellen Waterston, Oregon Poet LaureateThe title of Matthew Friday’s intriguing collection, Wunderkammer, derives from a practice four centuries old — the collecting of precious objects in cabinets or rooms, which ultimately inspired museums. But this work is boldly inventive, surprising us with objects we might encounter on a daily walk, a drive to a nearby town, or just over there, beyond the kitchen window. Everywhere, light abounds. It is the light of recognition, of understanding, as well as the light diminished by death, by greed, by what the poet calls “the carnivorous light of human progress.” Each poem is a feather brushing the back of a hand, a pebble falling over a cliff, the call of a bird that only memory can name. Friday honors all he observes, allowing the moments he is given to yield to patience, to wonder. Here, even trees dream. It is a wonderful collection in which to fish for poems, where every conversation with a stranger becomes part of the grand puzzle, and wind chimes startle us home.—Carol Barrett, PhD, author, Reading Wind and PansiesI would highly recommend Matthew’s work to anyone looking to reconnect with the world through poetry that is both accessible and deeply affecting. His poems resonate with readers of all backgrounds, offering vivid glimpses into nature, humanity, and the meaningful moments often overlooked in daily life.—Becca Reynolds, Events Coordinator, Deschutes Libraries Read more