The Sleep Orchard is a collection of poetry written in response to the life and artwork of Arshile Gorky. By mapping the differences as well as the deepening intersections between Gorky and the author, these poems highlight the complexities inherent in attempting to understand another's life and art within the frame of one's own consciousness. In addition to meditating on various paintings and the subsequent thoughts they inspire, the text shifts between reflection, recollection, description, confessionalism, and collage, ultimately carving an intimate trajectory through history, memory, vibrancy, and loss.

After receiving her M.F.A. through the University of British Columbia, Amy Dennis continued her studies at Harvard University where she was asked to be a reader for The Harvard Summer Review. In addition to publications in England and France, Amy's poetry has appeared in more than twenty Canadian literary publications, including CV2, Event, Queen's Quarterly, and Prairie Fire. Her poetry has been nominated for two National Magazine Awards and a Random House Creative Writing Award. She placed second in the UK's National Bedford Open Poetry Competition. Her chapbook THE COMPLEMENT AND ANTAGONIST OF BLACK (OR, THE DEFINITION OF ALL VISIBLE WAVELENGTHS) was published by above/ground press. She has recently completed with distinction her PhD on ekphrastic poetry and new confessionalism.

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