Who wouldn’t want a metaphorical stunt double to take the perilous fall that comes with the pain of loss or profound disappointment? The poems in When the Heart Needs a Stunt Double by Diane DeCillis consider resourceful ways in which we become our own stunt double as we explore through a poet’s eyes the anatomy of the mind, body, and soul.

This is that rare book that is both funny and momentous. Her lyrical evocations of people and places are full of empathy, tenderness, and whimsical irony. DeCillis captures our humanity in all its moods—no small task.

When the Heart Needs a Stunt Double takes us on a journey of what it means to be fully human. It highlights the gifts we find in humor, nature, art, food, and how we celebrate the beauty of our scars. These are love poems: to others, to the self, to the body. DeCillis makes it clear that wounds need attention and care, but that loss always strengthens us.

Wayne State University Press 2021