Taking the Homeless Census

Overview

Taking the Homeless Census, Alexis Ivy's second poetry collection, begins with her award-winning crown of sonnets concerning her work with the homeless community. This 15-sonnet sequence captures the vulnerable moments of shared humanity. The remaining poems are a heartfelt response to the crown, splintering the poet's relationship with her lifework while questioning the definition of home. Known for their thoughtful attention to language and form, Ivy's poems find beauty in the wounds. Taking the Homeless Census lets readers touch the untouchable.

Author Biography

Alexis Ivy is a 2018 recipient of the Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowship in Poetry, awarded for her crown of sonnets, "The A-Street Shelter." Her first poetry collection, Romance with Small-Time Crooks, was published in 2013 by BlazeVOX [books]. A Boston native, her poems have been displayed in City Hall and featured by Mass Poetry aboard the red line subway. Her work has appeared in J Journal, Borderlands, Worcester Review, Lake Effect, Exit 7, Saranac Review, among other magazines and anthologies. She works as an advocate for the homeless in Cambridge and teaches in the PoemWorks community.