I Mistook an Upside-Down M for a W

What is the most romantic letter? Why is it W? Unfolding in five acts corresponding to the five corners of the letter W (or is it an upside-down M?), Dylan C. Beck's debut poetry collection I Mistook an Upside-Down M for a W inhabits an absurdly beautiful world in which even the most mundane artifacts of humanity become a sustenance for resounding romantic yearning: by day, the steam rising from a simmering red sauce conjures deep fascination in domesticity; by night, the bathroom vanity manifests as an altar whereby an inconspicuous bedtime ritual translates into transubstantiation of true love. Chronologically, the loose narrative details the enthralling boom-and-bust of modern dating through four brief accounts of unrequited love: the physical artist Maggie; the author Marielle; the aesthete Sierra; and the big sister Hyacinth. Completing the arc of big queer heartache, the transformative tale uncovers deep truths that reflect the singular richness of a broken heart as the author celebrates humanity in recurring themes of epiphany, ecstasy, grief, and resolution.