Poets Are Eaten as a Delicacy in Japan" opens as 30-year-old Tommie Shaw is shown a newspaper report by her panicked sister Georgie revealing that their mother, Gloria, is set to release a new memoir. What follows is an engaging and rewarding black comedy, as Tommie and Georgie s panic spirals and they clamor to control Gloria while also dealing with the painful legacy of their fatherless childhood. A series of flashbacks to Tommie s teenage years help to explain her now destructive and out-of-control lifestyle as an adult. "Poets Are Eaten as a Delicacy in Japan" also tackles heavy subjects, including suicide and self-harm, with a light touch that feels honest rather than glib."Poets Are Eaten as a Delicacy in Japan" is the story of a dysfunctional family, but more importantly, about facing fears and moving on.