Hell (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798899750038)

"Caitlin Johnson's imaginative trip through realms both dark and beautiful is nothing short of captivating. This is quite the poetic study on our relationship with death, and it shows a signature defiance. Johnson says, "My body crackles in spite of death, / and I ask my soul to travel with it." That's exactly what this book is: a journey alongside death, littered with spellbinding imagery and elegant, if not useful, reflections on mortality. Who knew going to Hell could be such a meaningful experience?"

-Timothy Tarkelly, author of The You We Know and Love and A Horse Called Victory

"In HELL, Caitlin Johnson's speakers take the reader on a harrowing journey to the underworld, where the reader meets a variety of sinister (and other) characters including The Grim Reaper, the Ferryman, assorted ghosts and minions, and of course, Lucifer himself (surprisingly, Joan of Arc rounds out the register of unsettling personalities). The book, written mostly in first-person, effectively brings the reader into each character's (mostly) demented mind.

Although there are plenty of grim scenarios portrayed, Johnson remains ever mindful of the many shades of death (and the absurd irony involved therein), balancing and lightening the mood, breaking the tension with sardonic and often biting wit ("the bottomless pit of self-righteousness"), and thoughtful, romantic musing in "Three American Haiku." She does this balancing act well-for example, as flames begin to consume her at the stake, Joan of Arc declares calmly, "I am not afraid. I was born for this."

Johnson uses every incantation at her disposal to full effect. Take a breath and enjoy.

-Heidi Hermanson, author of Waking to the Dream and Cocktails with God