Carnival is a book of poems that serve as a testimony of the author's fears and how they have shaped her. Throughout the book Wise reveals pieces of herself and the life she's surrounded by, using very raw, honest content, while attempting to incorporate just a bit of humor. Wise compares most of the world, or what she knows of it, to a circus carnival - the clowns and masked people, the rides and attractions, the hoping and pretending that we are all happy.