It’s finally time to debut our first installment of the 2026 Southern Summer Book Club with a conversation between Bradley Sides and Aimee Nezhukumatathil! If you missed Bradley’s introduction to NIGHT OWL, don’t forget to check it out before you watch, but here’s a snippet about the collection:
From the first poem, “Nocturne for Dark Things,” it’s clear that this is a book that shows Nezhukumatahil at her best. We are engulfed in joy, wonder, tenderness, and warmth — hallmarks of Nezhukumatathil’s writing. There’s an irresistible charm throughout these pages…
While the book is shaped around nighttime stages, the poems here vary widely in terms of topic. There are works about bees, Mississippi, motherhood, national parks, hummingbirds, race, dark chocolate, and much, much more. Night Owl contains, in so many ways, poems of our lives.
POETRY
Night Owl
By Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Ecco
Published March 31, 2026
Southern Review of Books 