In some meditation practices, a "monkey mind" is a state of consciousness that swings from thought to thought like a monkey in a jungle swings from tree branch to tree branch. This frame of mind is characterized by caprice, distraction, impulsiveness. Long thought to thwart the human experience. Along comes Jungle Gyms for Monkey Minds, Neil Kaufman's stunning debut collection of poetry. Jungle Gyms for Monkey Minds is a book that rewards monkey minds navigating its pages in or out of order to more deeply evoke emotions and plot lines within the book's narratives (and the reader's own.) No clear beginning or end, instead many interesting, particular peculiarities related to Kaufman's idiosyncrasies. For example, when you encounter a poem with a bird, an eye, a forest, a candle, you'll likely encounter the same thing again in a different way elsewhere in the book. Additional rereads only compounds this effect, so the book never loses its luster but grows deeper with time. Culled from 21 years of prolific writing since first being published in 2004, this long road to his debut collection allowed for the choicest selections of only his lushest, most stimulating, deeply human poems. The result is a diverse poetic experience. Math can be found as often as fantastical creatures, math can be found as fantastical creatures, left and right brained themes intermingling in a way that can only be described as organic. Ecopoetics weave throughout, oft presenting nature in abnormal ways. Questions of God also show up, Kaufman reporting back to us how and where he looks for God along with his mixed results. Readers familiar with mental health struggles will also identify with many terms and themes throughout the book, finding Kaufman to be a welcome companion on their path to recovery. In addition, Kaufman has a tendency to play with binary opposites, taking day/night, fire/water, life/death, sky/ground... the list goes on... and making them his playthings, pushing the envelope or just challenging the way that a spectrum is defined by popular culture. Lively, playful touches of humor pepper the book throughout, and the forms Kaufman invents are distinctly different from each other. "I like your poetic sensibilities, enjoy watching you work out logical ideas with a poetic heart." -Christine Stephens-Krieger, Grand Rapids Poet Laureate, 2024-2026, author of Love Garden at the End of the World "These poems aren't boring. Moving from earth and into space and back again, many of these offer insights into real life, not artifice. 'Knowing what matters is which side I'm on, ' for instance. The result is a lyric intimacy." -Robert VanderMolen, author of Skin and Water "The title alone of Neil Kaufman's dizzying collection of poems, Jungle Gyms for Monkey Minds , alerts us that we are about to encounter a revelation of the unexpected. Early on we are moved from what we expect- 'You / can't see a conductor / of an orchestra / if you're only listening to the music / the orchestra / is playing' to 'Is it / so odd to suggest that some people / haven't been told about the existence / of conductors?' Kaufman creates a deconstructed world releasing reason and replacing it with 'surprise' be it playful, serious, or ominous. In intelligently syncopated lines, phrases and structures, Kaufman creates both the impact of impermanence and also the daily challenges of facing the unexpected. Near the end, Kaufman writes that he himself spends much time recuperating from mental overwork doing what most 'are largely unaware of . . .' Neil Kaufman dares us to be aware." -Jack Ridl, author of All At Once , and Practicing to Walk Like a Heron Neil Kaufman is an award-winning poet from Grand Rapids, Michigan who entered the city's robust literary scene in 2004. He's placed in the Dyer-Ives Kent County Poetry Competition and Grand Rapids Community College's poetry contest. Kaufman's also hosted countless creative writing workshops for poets of all ages. Neil has recited poetry everywhere from the Grand Rapids Art Museum to ArtPrize and an assortment of bars and cafes. He was interviewed in the extensive poetry documentary collection called "An Oral History of Poetry in Grand Rapids." He's served on the board of directors and assisted with developing and delivering programming for the Creative Youth Center. He also contributed to the Schuler Books anthology to benefit Ukraine, "Busy Griefs, Raw Towns." He is currently a member of the poet laureate committee at the Grand Rapids Public Library as well as a member of the Grand River Poetry Collective.