Exit Wounds is David's fourth poetry chapbook, his third from Finishing Line Press (2017).

Exit Wounds explores the genesis and aftermath of a destructive affair perpetrated by a predatory male
university professor. The collection begins with several poems providing the context of the woman’s
vulnerability, and continues with the initial seduction at an academic conference. With deep
psychological insight into motivation and power relationships, subsequent developments complete
a compelling narrative trajectory of a tragedy worthy of Puccini. 

Appreciations of Exit Wounds:

"Extraordinary. First class."
~ Mike Weaver, Emeritus Fellow, Linacre College, University of Oxford, and author of William Carlos Williams: 
the American Background.

"David Olsen is an accomplished poet who writes about uncomfortable emotions, and has transformed grief, 
disbelief, and raw pain into flawless poems which will speak to anyone who has 'been there'."
~ Merryn Williams, founding editor of The Interpreter's House, and author of several poetry collections and 
other full-length literary works.

"In Exit Wounds David Olsen's immaculate control and craft become a prism refracting and revealing raw 
emotion. In potent, moving language, these poems chart the disintegration of a relationship. Olsen's 
distinctive voice here shines strongly through a deep emotional darkness."
                                                                                           ~ Mark Leech, author of several poetry pamphlets and the blog Open Field: Words about the natural and 
                                                                                               the human.

What a masterpiece Exit Wounds is -- beautifully crafted, raw and moving. 
~ Alison Luke, author of The Lycopolis Trilogy.

"Exit Wounds ... was written with consummate skill throughout, and the passage through the emotions 
expressed was seamless."
~ John Vickers, mathematician and poet.

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