Come celebrate with us for a reading and book launch event! Books will be available at the event.The Way the Waves Do explores Zinkowski’s becoming a parent, covering three periods of time: before his daughter is born, her birth, and her toddler years. Written in a modified haiku form, each short poem captures a moment—sometimes mundane, sometimes earth-shattering—worth remembering. The resulting closeness with which each memory is held reflects a poet’s growing love and respect for all things, not just those most precious.
Available December 1, 2026, The Way the Waves Do is published by Camaraderie Books, an Oregon-based micropublisher of poetry.
Learn more at camaraderiebooks.com / Instagram @camaraderie.books / Email: [email protected]
Praise for The Way the Waves Do
“Like a photo album, Zinkowski has found the ideal compact poetic expression for the kind of attention deficits and distractions inherent in the hectic, roller-coaster experiences of early parenthood. His poems are sometimes enigmatic, often imagistic, always poignant. Although each poem captures only a passing moment, the collection as a whole outlines the journey with humor, insight, emotional depth, and above all, love—a unique and rewarding collection of poems.”
– David Hargreaves, author of Running Out of Words for Afterwards and Watch for Ice on Bridge
“The Way the Waves Do is an instant classic. With tenderness and wit, Zinkowski captures his and his wife Asia's journey to becoming parents and their everyday life as the parents of a young child. Zinkowski muses on the magic of breastmilk, the wonder of hearing his child laugh for the first time, the joy of sneaky sex while the baby naps, and the strange battles he's faced as a father — like protecting his baby from a wayward patio umbrella on a windy day. Together, they paint a portrait of a father in awe of his family. Fun to read and relatable, this book is perfect for parents of young children, parents-to-be or even parents who miss the days when their children were little.”
– Malaka Gharib, author of the graphic memoirs I Was Their American Dream and It Won't Always Be Like This.
“Zinkowski brings a honed attention to the minutiae of parenthood’s wonders. He helps us see what we might have missed, and in doing so, invites us back to what we are capable of: lingering upon the most delicate and effervescent moments of the human experience.”
– Ocean, Poet Laureate of Olympia, Washington and author of Helios
“In The Way the Waves Do, Zinkowski captures the muck and the sweetness of his child’s journey into this dazzling world and his own deeply-embodied wonder in the forge of fatherhood. Like rosebuds, like atoms, like infants, like fireworks, these small poems fold immeasurable power into tiny packages. Each page sparks with humor, connection, and tenderness, inviting the reader through its potent particulars into the universal experience of being all the way present, awake, and alive.”
– Bethany Lee, author of Close to the Surface and Etude for Belonging
About the author:
Living in Oregon but raised in Massachusetts, Michael Zinkowski teaches English and Writing to incarcerated high school and college students. He is a published poet and writer who holds an MFA in Creative Writing from UNC Greensboro and a BA from Syracuse University in English & Textual Studies and Psychology. Michael and his family immensely enjoy being in their garden, hiking to waterfalls, and cooking together. The Way the Waves Do is his first collection of poetry.
Event venue
ƒ/stop Fitzgerald's Public House, 335 Grove St NE, Salem, OR 97301-0726, United States
Tickets
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