"In his startling debut, Anthony Aguero's language is an 'urgent hush, ' a 'hunger breaking flesh.' He dismantles sentimentality, complicates the familial, and unravels queer desire. His poems make visible the full spectrum of human existence. Addiction, love, pain, and lust are intertwined into beautifully crafted lines that sing, that mourn. Aguero's lyrical intelligence is instructive and courageous. I'm grateful for this book."
- Eduardo C. Corral, author of Guillotine
"Poignant, lyrical, and driven by language both honest and engaging, Anthony Aguero's Burnt Spoon Burnt Honey takes a close look at the nuances of familial and intimate relationships-how they're formed; how they become strained; how they leave us feeling as empty as they do full. Here, Aguero's speaker examines the consequences of his "spine always in search of memory," and how his "hunger [for] breaking flesh" turns into reflections that don't always yield clear answers. What does it mean when God has gone from your father's hands? How do you make love to someone who inflicts hurt upon your body? How do you cope with feeling constantly like you don't belong? Even though the speaker might come to the conclusion that "love is a complex thing" that might never be understood, he knows that the journey of self-discovery cannot be carried out without offering every last ounce of body, mind, and soul. Prepare to accept poems that are meaningful and tender."
- Esteban Rodriguez, author of The Valley
"Love and violence share space so often in Anthony Aguero's Burnt Spoon Burnt Honey, it's hard to tell them apart. Many sentiments could be assigned to such a blurring, but the poems in this collection restlessly render that reality at the same time they refuse the resignation often associated with normality. Aguero's speaker discloses, "I wanted my history untouched and unedited. There is a myth that if I cracked my heart onto the concrete in my hometown and showed you the pieces, you'd see no blood." This collection faithfully collages boyhood and manhood, family and friendship, sex and sexuality, and illness and addiction, arcs that are often co-opted to make mythology of Black and brown existence, but there's every reason to trust Aguero and his speaker when he says, "Today, I offer something tender." Burnt Spoon Burnt Honey is an entirely heartfelt delivery of that promise."
- Dustin Pearson, author of A Season in Hell with Rimbaud
