The Island Never Burned So Bright

is a poetic memoir of one twentysomething Staten Islander's thoughts, observations, and struggles in a post-9/11, post-Hurricane Sandy world. This collection of "broken hymns" brilliantly captures the strange ability that hope and faith have to grow in the most unexpected places, while still giving plenty of space to skepticism and anger. There's nothing like poetry to get at the heart of unsayable things, and Jonathan D. Pigno's poems shine a light on tragedy and everyday life in a way that connects the outer world with the inner self. Lacking pretense and resonating with heartfelt honesty, these poems, interspersed with bits of prose, craft a unique window through which we can see both the larger world and humanity as a whole, as well as the very specific location of Staten Island and one man who embodies it all-the poet himself. An off-the-beaten-path spiritual journey, an authentic assessment of love and loss, and a vulnerable account of what it is to pursue a dream, this collection is alight with questions and insights that will be sure to resonate with a wide variety of readers.