Alternatives for Succulents bends through the varied landscapes of longing, distance, sorrow, and self-discovery. Sprawling from the rural soil of Wisconsin to the unreachable pockets of space, these formally adventurous poems sift through what it means to want, to lose, and to remain tender. Like wind over an open field, they sprawl with breath. John Paul Martinez's lush, aching debut is a book for the heart that breaks open and still blooms.