As a poet, Perquin is able to get into the minds of others. Whether they are the delinquents presented to us in Cell Inspections or the nameless, strange, but extremely recognizable figures in her other work. The reader always gets the feeling that she is being addressed by a person of flesh and blood. Because Perquin often uses the second-person singular, the idea of direct communication is further reinforced. Who is this “you”? Is it the reader or the writer?

Dutch poet Ester Naomi Perquin worked as a prison guard to pay for her college education. She has published three books of poetry.