Book of Altars evokes a rugged reverence for the world's primal elements: blood, dirt, and everything that flows beneath the surface. Throughout these poems, Clara Bush Vadala performs an alchemy of animal science, girlhood spells, and Texas landscapes. At every turn, this chapbook invites fresh interpretations of what might still be considered sacred when so much has been stripped bare. Clara Bush Vadala is a poet and veterinarian from Van Alstyne, Texas. She has work in various publications including Iron Horse Literary Review, New South Review , and Moss Puppy among others. She serves as associate poetry editor of Thimble Literary Magazine and works full time as a veterinarian. Clara lives with ten pets, 19 chickens, and her husband and daughter who graciously accept her love of animals to the fullest extent. Clara’ s full-length collection of poems Resembling a Wild Animal is forthcoming from ELJ editions later this year (2024).