The Inheritance: Poems and Photographs

by Justin Hamm

Poetry and associated photographs of coming of age and inheritance in the Midwest.

72 pages, Paperback

Published June 19, 2019

About the author

Originally from the flatlands of central Illinois, Justin Hamm now lives near Twain Territory in Missouri, where he works as a K-12 Librarian/Media Specialist in a small rural school district. His work, fiction or poetry, has appeared in numerous publications. Recent work has also been selected for the Stanley Hanks Memorial Poetry Prize from the St. Louis Poetry Center. Justin earned his MFA from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2005.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Justin Hamm's latest collection of poetry is a fine exploration of family and place. His work reminds us that the past is never really left in the past, but that every experience and memory is part of who we are in the present.

[Agnes Vojta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Justin Hamm’s “Inheritance” combines his photography and poetry in a unique fusion. His poems are imbued with a strong sense of place and a keen observation of detail that reminds of the photographer’s eye. Hamm traces patterns and relationships through generations of his family and tells “a story/ about how/a cycle breaks”. Just like his photographs highlight the beauty in abandoned farmsteads and rusted out cars, his poems illuminate unsung people in an unsung Midwestern landscape. Beautiful, thought provoking book.