A mesmerizing collection of eerie, image-rich poems that explore the fleeting nature of existence and friendship, inspired by the world of art and artists. The Plague Doctor combines poetry with mesmerizing ink drawings by Natalia Ardus, art by Mark Kulas and Tony Rubino, and photography by the author. Poet and musician Lisa Marie Simmons writes in her forward to the collection, “I’ve read this collection three, four, then five times. In my office, in the tour van and the green room, after yoga, and once bundled up beneath an ancient olive tree. Despite those many deep dives, it never seems enough to complete this forward. So I returned—six, seven, ten times. Each reading has me focusing on something new, and a year from now, I know more discoveries will be made as my perspective shifts with my own experiences. This is one of the many things I love about poetry and, in particular, Poet Laureate of Dublin, California, James Morehead’s poetry.” "With an ekphrastic eye for everything from street art to cherry blossom petals amassed on damp grass, James Morehead's poetry pulses with vibrant detail. Whether it's Jimmy Page strumming a mandolin or ruminations of a sourdough starter, Morehead's speaker is equally intent on listening. In his new collection, The Plague Doctor, this poet has created a vivid document that captures what it means to be perpetually inspired by the world in all its facets." - Tina Cane, Poet Laureate of Rhode Island and author of Body of Work and Year of the Murder Hornet “The literary community has been waiting for a collection like this, which moves beyond simple ekphrasis, creating poetry that illuminates art as well as the reader's understanding of what it means to be human.” - Kristina Marie Darling, Editor-in-Chief, Tupelo Press & Tupelo Quarterly “The poems ricochet off the visual images in unexpected ways, so that this book - where word and image converge - reminds me of a pinball machine. As in that song by The Who, Morehead is our ‘pinball wizard.’ Whether writing free verse, haikus, or ballad-like rhymes, he ‘sure plays a mean pinball.’ Morehead creates his own boisterous ‘cacophony of bells / that flash in reds, greens, and golds.’” - Donald Platt, author of Swansdown "You'll come to expect the unexpected, because leafing through this book is akin to walking through an exhibition, through a series of galleries wherein Morehead's far-reaching imagination is released. Such a free-for-all might be considered an easy option for a poet unburdened by the discipline a more thematic work calls for, but don't be deceived: control and direction are very much here all right, if lightly worn, and serve to compliment and strengthen the poet's vision." - The Colorado Review "Where to begin with this exquisite little book? Its themes of time, identity, death? Its gorgeous prosody, haiku, sonnets, rhyme? Its incorporation of so many arts from music and poetry to painting, sculpture and drama to tell its story? Its organization as a sort of stage play? This ingenious collection proceeds like a play, complete with climax and dénouement" - North of Oxford "The strength of this new, engrossing collection lies in Morehead's authenticity of feeling and the coherence of his poetic vision. These poems, despite their kaleidoscopic variety of form, communicate with one another through a deeply felt, carefully developed unifying theme: time, its deadly hold over us, and the refuge that is art." - South Florida Poetry Journal "Inspired by street art, desert ruins and many forms in between, the poems in The Plague Doctor move with an awareness of the collaboration between the observer and the maker. Paired with black and white images, Morehead's poetics is colorful and auditory." - Tupelo Quarterly The Plague Doctor  captures my love for art-inspired poetry and collaborations with other artists. Many of the poems in this collection, including the title poem, which was sparked by a friend's elaborate Halloween costume, take inspiration from powerful works of art. This in turn has resulted in incredible collaborations with other artists, composers ("welcome to our gallery" became a duet for baritone and piano), and filmmakers ("Twilight in the Sculpture Forest" won Best Documentary at the Los Angeles International Poetry Film Festival 2023.) The original ink art for the book, inspired by the title poem, was even use to create a tattoo on my right shoulder that follows me everywhere I go. I look forward to sharing these poems with you and hope they resonate with you, as deeply as they have with me. James Morehead is Poet Laureate Emeritus of Dublin, California. James has published two collections of poetry: canvas and portraits of red and gray. James's poem "tethered" was transformed into an award-winning hand-drawn animated short film, "welcome to our gallery" was set to music for baritone and piano, and his poems have appeared on NPR, SF Chronicle's Total SF, Ignatian Literary Magazin