Poem Not Intended to Stand in Contrast to Anything for Once

Catherine Pierce is poet laureate of Mississippi and the author of four books of poems, most recently Danger Days (Saturnalia, 2020). Her other books include Famous Last Words (Saturnalia, 2008) and The Girls of Peculiar (Saturnalia, 2012). Her work has appeared in The Best American Poetry, The New York Times, The American Poetry Review, AGNI, The Nation, and elsewhere. A National Endowment for the Arts Fellow and twotime Pushcart Prize winner, she codirects the creative writing program at Mississippi State University. (updated 4/2022)