Alice Friman's latest collection, Vinculum, roots for deep connections between people, nature, retrospection, and the inevitable biological destiny of the body. Friman's work branches out from the core poem, ""The Mythological Cod,"" to form a trellis of revelations on religion, sex, humor, science, and history. Her poems embrace the painful uncertainty of existence and relationships with clear-cut precision. The defiance and directness of Vinculum is matched by its musicality, creating a rich but fragile weave of human attachment.