"Joshua Mensch's devastating debut, Because, is a "disturbing, memorably and superbly handled book- length narrative poem" (Steph Burt). It tells the story of Don, the charming, enigmatic director of a youth wilderness camp who befriends, and preys on, the young boys in his care. Unfolding through a series of individual encounters, Because renders the shifting landscapes of childhood memory with vividness and precision, building a tale that is powerful, complex, and heartbreaking. If I had a thousand tongues. I could tell a thousand different stories and all of them would be true; "An achievement of sustained attention and imagination."-- Michael Collier "Compelling, complex, and empathic. . . . [Because] moves as if in a present tense: memory in a living moment."-- Stanley Plumly"-- Provided by publisher.