In his debut poetry collection, The&160;Nature of Things Fragile, Peter Vertacnik&160;depicts a world fraught with vulnerability&160;and loss. Utilizing a wide range of both&160;received and nonce poetic forms, including&160;sonnets, villanelles, triolets, a sestina,&160;epigrams, blank verse, and word-count,&160;he confronts the illnesses and deaths of loved ones, both recent and long past&160;( Face Value, &8220;Odd Elegy,&8221; &8220;Trace,&8221;);&160;the memories of old houses and towns&160;left behind (&8220;Departure,&8221; Sugar Beets,&8221;&160;&8220;Mourning Doves&8221;); and the vanishing&160;of once-ubiquitous analog particulars&160;(&8220;Apology to Candles,&8221; &8220;Dial Tone,&8221; &8220;In&160;Praise of Blank Cassettes&8221;). It is indeed a&160;book of elegies, but one that also celebrates&160;the people, places, and things it&160;laments, preserving their names and&160;details while laying them to rest.&160;The Nature of Things Fragile is the winner&160;of the twenty-third New Criterion&160;Poetry Prize.