“These pieces . . . showcase Fennelly’s signature freshness and candor. If you’re a fan of Beth Ann Fennelly’s previous books of poetry, which had many poems bordering the hybrid edge of prose, you will be a fan of this book of “mini-memoirs.” And if you’re not a poetry fan, but a memoir fan? Heating & Cooling will work for you, too. Whether you read it as poetry or memoir, this collection will invite you into the delicate balance between the challenging, sometimes squalid, human condition and the beauty and sadness of the transcendent”

“An author of bold perception, powerful femininity, and candid vulnerability. This deceptively slim, convention-defying collection delivers surprisingly generous rewards.”

“Consistently entertaining. . . poised, eloquent, and full of moments of tenderness.”

“Imagine the hundred things you enjoy doing most in the world. Reading Beth Ann Fennelly’s Heating & Cooling is more fun than 95 of them.”

“A poet and fiction writer delivers 52 ‘micro-memoirs’—some just one sentence, some a couple of pages—that offer insight into her life, the lives of loved ones, and the overall human condition. . . .Although the concept and structure of the book are experimental, on the whole, the writing is more straightforward, lucidly composed, and often highly evocative. A sleek, delightful collection.”

“Fennelly packs a lot into each short piece, with some lighter in subject matter and others with a sudden punch-in-the-gut feel, weighted with existential exploration. Potent despite their brevity.”

“Varying in length from a single sentence to several pages, the essays in [Heating and Cooling] are told with wry self-awareness and compassion; each piece illuminates how the manners and minutiae of everyday life . . . are underpinned by deep-rooted human needs and beliefs.”

““The 52 micro-memoirs in genre-defying Heating & Cooling offer bright glimpses into a richly lived life, combining the oppression of poetry with the truth-telling of nonfiction into one heartfelt, celebratory book.”

“What better can one writer say about another writer’s work? I wish I’d written it. Heating and Cooling is just that enviable.”

“Strong and at the same time wonderfully vulnerable. There is a matter of fact revelation inherent in her work. I deeply enjoyed this book—deeply.”

“The pieces look like jewels—finely wrought, lyric and subtle—but they expose themselves as creatures: vital, writhing, surprising, alive. They’re funny as hell. They’ve got a cool wit, but they’re feverish to the touch. They’ve been living inside me ever since I read them, heating and cooling me.”

“Beth Ann Fennelly brings a poet’s sensibility to Heating & Cooling. Each entry is both insightful and precise, a perfect pearl of memory. By marking out these 52 moments, she draws a portrait of a life that is deeply felt and fully awake. I will be the first in line when there are 52 more.”