Chaser is a book of poems that grows from the troubling premise that each of us lives in a state of pre-diagnosis. Our bodies are never under our control, and when illness strikes we must redraw the boundary between the well and the unwell, interacting with the world differently. In these poems, the experience of illness is applied to individuals, communities, economic systems, and travel between nations. In bracing, electric language and form, the book's three threads — one following a group of patients and a character known as Invalid, one examining a scientist's study of tuberculosis, and a third examining the language of manic economy — explore different notions of consumption, wellness, discovery, and growth.

Erin Knight is the critically acclaimed author of The Sweet Fuels, which was shortlisted for the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award and longlisted for the ReLit Award in 2008. “Healthy Human Carrier,” a selection of poems from Chaser, was a finalist for the 2010 CBC Literary Awards. Her work has appeared in numerous major literary journals, including Arc, Event, The Fiddlehead, The Malahat Review, Prairie Fire, Prism International, and Qwerty. She lives in St. Catharines, Ontario.

Erin Knight's profile page

Knight strikes a strong balance between the intellectual and the imagistic.

Winnipeg Free Press